The Curtain Falls

Luo Yun felt terrifyingly powerful now!

His ever-accelerating blood circulation, wildly pounding heart, and the vigorous power hidden within his body had his nerves buzzing with excitement.

The flames on his wings, tail, and the horns on his head surged ever higher.

Like an orbiting satellite, he circled the Male Fire Dragon at increasing speed. The instant his opponent exposed an opening, it would receive a fatal blow.

Cute Star Skyward Crash (Male Fire Dragon version).JPG

During the prolonged standoff, the flames on the Male Fire Dragon's cheeks affected him once again. After being scorched at close range for so long, even his protective membrane had begun to dry out, forcing him to close his eyes again.

And Luo Yun's Mind's Eye precisely caught that fleeting instant.

The flames around him gathered, and his entire body became an orange-red fireball. After tracing an arc through the air, he charged straight toward the Male Fire Dragon's flank with unstoppable momentum, like a meteor from beyond the heavens.

The Male Fire Dragon sensed danger and hurriedly opened his eyes, adjusting his body and beating his wings in an attempt to pull away.

But under the effects of gravity, Luo Yun's speed had already reached the peak he could attain at this stage. Even though the Male Fire Dragon reacted in time, he still failed to evade completely.

The Flame Meteor tore through the sky with a blazing trail and exploded against the Male Fire Dragon's side wing.

The explosion echoed through the Ancient Tree's canopy, startling countless birds into flight as they scattered in a dark swarm.

A mushroom cloud blossomed in the sky.

From beneath the thick smoke, the massive Male Fire Dragon fell unconscious. His right wing was visibly bent at an unnatural angle, and half his body was charred black as he crashed directly into the Ancient Tree, snapping one thick branch after another before slamming heavily onto a platform.

Blood burst from beneath his blackened scales and spilled everywhere. His entire body struggled on the ground, yet he could not rise no matter how hard he tried.

The Male Fire Dragon's injuries were now extremely severe. Even a few Jagras could take his life if they seized this opportunity.

In the sky, Luo Yun slowly emerged from the thick smoke, trailing wisps of black haze behind him.

Luo Yun's eyes were bloodshot from the intense battle. He hovered with his wings spread wide as threads of flame leaked from gaps between his scales, only to be absorbed through gaps elsewhere.

His crimson scales reflected a silvery-white radiance. Though his young body appeared small by comparison, he was like a true king of the skies, looking down from his throne upon a rebel who had been punished.

Blood dripped from scales cracked open by the collision's backlash, but there was not the slightest hint of weakness in him. Instead, his presence grew ever more imposing.

Under Luo Yun's icy gaze, the Male Fire Dragon who had been knocked onto the Ancient Tree finally stopped struggling, curled up, and let out a whimper.

He had lost completely!

What awaited him next was either expulsion from his nest or submission.

So long as he and Luo Yun set their sights on the same hunting ground, he had to yield whenever they met, waiting until Luo Yun finished hunting before it was his turn.

Of course, there was still a chance for things to turn around.

He had lost his battle with Luo Yun, but his wife's battle with Ya Ji had yet to be decided. If she could win, then the status of their two families would remain equal.

Even if Luo Yun set his sights on their nest, they would not have to give it up. Luo Yun could only build his own nest at the same level.

Unfortunately, ideals were full, but reality was harsh.

When Ya Ji, drenched in blood, flew into the air to join Luo Yun, while the Female Fire Dragon who had fought her could only drag her injured body to the Male Fire Dragon's side and lick his wounds, the battle finally came to an end.

The Fire Dragon Couple had been utterly defeated.

If Luo Yun and Ya Ji took a liking to their nest, then even while dragging their heavily wounded bodies, they would have to take their young and choose another place in the Ancient Tree to build a nest—or leave the Ancient Tree altogether.

Everything that followed depended on Luo Yun's choice.

Compared to Luo Yun, Ya Ji looked utterly miserable. After all, it had been a purely physical brawl, so scratches across her body had been unavoidable.

But in Luo Yun's eyes, Ya Ji was in excellent spirits. In fact, her entire body was still brimming with excitement, and the fanatical fighting spirit in her eyes had yet to fade.

It seemed she had thoroughly enjoyed that fight, completely releasing the wildness buried in her bones. Then again, it made sense. Ya Ji was strong, but her opponent had not been weak either. She was, after all, the "principal wife" who had fought her way through many Female Fire Dragons to remain in the Ancient Tree.

With the battle decided, the other Fire Dragons that had been watching returned to their nests one after another, and the skies around the Ancient Tree fell quiet once more.

Luo Yun took Ya Ji to the Ancient Tree's canopy to inspect their spoils.

The Fire Dragon Couple's location was a large platform. Branches crisscrossed overhead, breaking the sunlight into fragments that fell across it.

There was no water reservoir built on the platform. Presumably, they shared a pool with another Fire Dragon family.

Inside the nest, several juvenile Fire Dragons stared warily at the two "uninvited guests" with wide eyes. A somewhat larger Male Fire Dragon, nearly four meters long, shielded the young behind him, spread his wings, and roared at Luo Yun.

Luo Yun completely ignored the youngsters. After looking around, he turned toward Ya Ji and saw that she too seemed uninterested. He understood that, like him, she did not think much of this place.

After calling out to Ya Ji, he took the lead out of the cave and began circling the Ancient Tree in flight.

The Fire Dragon Couple limped back to the entrance of their nest. Seeing Luo Yun and Ya Ji fly away, they both breathed a sigh of relief, then dragged their injured bodies back inside to recover.

The Ancient Tree was rich in Life Energy, and Fire Dragons possessed formidable recovery abilities. Injuries of this degree would heal in two or three days.

With Herbivore Dragon carcasses stored in their nest, the Fire Dragon Couple did not need to worry about survival.

After spending some time searching, Luo Yun and Ya Ji finally found a suitable place to build a nest on this level of the Ancient Tree.

Several thick branches and two layers of sturdy vines formed a small platform, with a roof above that extended from the Ancient Tree's branches.

The entire platform had only two entrances. One connected to the outer canopy of the Ancient Tree, and beside it, up a large slope, was another Fire Dragon Couple's nest. Next to their nest stood a small dam built from mud and branches, filled with water.

The other entrance lay within the canopy, covered in hanging vines. It was a gap that led directly down to the Ancient Tree's lower levels.

However, Luo Yun noticed that the gap was remarkably smooth and lacked any vine leaves, as though some creature frequently passed through it.

But Luo Yun did not think much of it. The gap was very narrow; even a Kulu-Ya-Ku could not squeeze through, so he paid it no mind.

Having chosen their nesting site, Luo Yun and Ya Ji, exhausted after a fierce battle, nestled against each other, closed their eyes, and gradually fell asleep.

As for building the nest, they could deal with that after recovering their strength.