This Is an Elder Dragon

A red-and-yellow flag bearing a cross-shaped star emblem flew atop the massive ship cutting through the waves. It symbolized the Azure Star from the Five Dragon Mythology, a guide that showed those who came after the way forward!

The Star Ship carried elites from every field. Beyond investigating the mystery of the Elder Dragon Crossing, they had come as pioneers, shouldering the responsibility of establishing an outpost on this utterly unfamiliar New World.

"Commander, there you are. Why aren't you inside drinking?"

With a small leather satchel at his waist filled with books and notebooks, and a gold-rimmed monocle perched on his face, the refined young man found his target at the bow and walked over with a smile.

His jet-black hair hung to his waist. He wore only a leather vest, his arms folded across his chest, the exposed muscles bulging with explosive strength. Tall and stern-faced, he looked every bit the bold, heroic man. Hearing the young man's words, he laughed heartily without turning around.

"Ahahaha, I'll take watch tonight! Go back and tell those boys inside to eat and drink all they want. Let them relax properly today! Once we reach the New World tomorrow, they'd better all perk up—we're about to embark on a grand adventure!"

"Meow!"

Beside the man, a Felyne far larger than others of its kind, with a greatsword on its back, stood in the same pose. At the man's words, it nodded vigorously in agreement.

The refined young man chuckled. "That's not something I should be saying. You're the Commander we elected. You should go say those encouraging words yourself."

After teasing his friend, the refined young man did not return to the cabin. Instead, he stepped up to the bow as well, leaned against the rail, and looked toward their destination.

"The New World... an unknown land that has never been formally explored. I wonder how many novel things it has compared to the Old World."

"Heh heh heh, we'll only know once we get there. But tomorrow, we need to choose a landing site carefully. The natives of the New World won't welcome us so kindly."

The Commander grinned. Although private groups had occasionally traveled to the New World for adventure in the past, the information they had obtained was pitifully scarce. This time was different. This was a formal investigation initiated by the Hunters Guild.

The arrival of the Investigation Team would inevitably bring conflict with the monsters of the New World. Establishing a pioneering base and outpost would certainly require battle.

The Hunters Guild had considered this issue from the very beginning when it decided to form the Investigation Team. Thus, while there were not many hunters on this journey, every one of them was an absolute elite.

With everyone's efforts, no matter what problems they faced, they would surely resolve them with ease.

This was confidence born of strength!

What the Commander did not know was that tomorrow, cruel reality would deliver a resounding slap to these ambitious members of the Investigation Team.

Ya Ji's injuries had finally healed recently, but both she and Luo Yun were extremely restless.

Whether in the Great Antlion Desert or the Ancient Forest, large numbers of creatures had been migrating deeper into the continent over the past two days.

Although their nest was far from the coast, the abnormal migration of so many different species still caught their attention.

As time passed, an instinctive sense of oppression and fear began to rise within them.

Some unseen voice seemed to urge them from within: stay away from the coast, stay away from the outer reaches of the Ancient Forest. It did not matter where they went, as long as they got far, far away!!

While carrying out his daily absorption, Luo Yun, who was highly sensitive to Earth Vein Energy, discovered that for some unknown reason, the Earth Vein Energy around the outer reaches of the Ancient Forest had begun to grow active.

The moisture in the air became heavier and heavier. Even the Great Antlion Desert beside the Ancient Forest had inexplicably filled with white mist in the morning.

This was a desert! And it had actually become foggy!

The many abnormalities left both dragons deeply unsettled. Without needing to discuss it, they began hunting more frequently and stockpiling food in their nest.

In just two days, the nest had accumulated a great deal of prey. Ya Ji and Luo Yun also drastically reduced their trips outside, staying in the nest and driving away any Wyvern Species that tried to enter.

Soon, on that very day, the Star Ship officially appeared off the coast of the New World. It was also on that day that thick white mist spread across the outer reaches of the Ancient Forest and part of the Great Antlion Desert.

Gales! Dark clouds! Lightning!

A massive dragon with a metallic sheen rode the hurricane, stirring up the clouds as it flickered in and out of sight amid the thunderous storm clouds.

In an instant, the sun hanging high in the sky was obscured by dark clouds, and the heavens dimmed.

Off the coast of the New World, towering waves rose from the sea under the raging winds. The thick moisture within the New World was swept away, and torrential rain came pouring down.

The dragon merely beat its wings lightly, yet endless hurricanes swirled around it like a natural disaster.

Luo Yun lay at the cave entrance, his eyes fixed on the figure within the raging winds.

It freely radiated overwhelming pressure, effortlessly altered the weather, and commanded the gale in utter defiance of natural laws. It was an existence like an emperor of the wind.

So this was an Elder Dragon?

The moment he saw the Steel Dragon, Luo Yun understood why so many creatures had begun to migrate. Seeking fortune and avoiding disaster was the instinct of living things. When ordinary creatures faced a natural disaster, fleeing was their only option.

The Steel Dragon had not deliberately used its power. It was merely passing through, yet the winds stirred by its instincts alone were enough to destroy everything.

At that moment, Luo Yun finally understood why Teostra could burn down a village merely by passing by, and why Kirin could force an entire Jinouga population into a massive migration simply by staying on a mountain.

For little animals like them, who could possibly face a natural disaster head-on?

Luo Yun and Ya Ji's nest was not along the Steel Dragon's Elder Dragon Crossing route, but it was still affected by the storm. At Ya Ji's low growl, Luo Yun slowly backed away and returned to the depths of the nest.

Just as Luo Yun planned to wait for the Steel Dragon to leave, the moisture that had been swept away by the gale rose again. The pressure that had already appeared with the Steel Dragon's arrival suddenly intensified once more.

The torrential rain brought by the storm abruptly seemed to lose control, beginning to converge toward a certain spot in the outer reaches of the Ancient Forest. The sea level, churning with massive waves, began rising rapidly.

Before long, the coastal outer reaches of the Ancient Forest and part of the lower-lying Great Antlion Desert were swallowed by seawater. Countless creatures that had not escaped in time were swept away by the flood.

Luo Yun had personally witnessed a mountain flood in his previous life, but compared with the scene before him, that flood suddenly seemed like nothing at all.