Nurturer Valyria

Late at night, Ochre Valley, the Giant Dragon's lair.

The Nurturer's nest was completely different from those of the hatchling dragons. It sat high on one side of the valley, converted from an ancient lava cave.

The entrance was broad and tall enough for a Giant Dragon to enter and leave with its wings spread. The space inside was likewise vast, with several side caverns that could serve as treasure chambers.

Deep within the cave, Valyria · Burningheart lay curled up, pretending to sleep with her eyes closed.

Beneath her was a shallow depression, neatly and squarely carved by the Gray Dwarves, lined with an exceptionally soft tanned hide.

The hide had been sewn from the full pelts of seven snowfield yaks and was quite costly. With the fur facing upward, it spread out as though it were a single seamless piece.

The rock walls around the nest had all been carefully polished by her retainers, gleaming with a faint dark luster. A small hanging brazier dangled from the wall, pine branches crackling as they burned, while wisps of smoke drifted through the space.

The Young Dragon soaked in the tranquil scent of pine branches, utterly motionless.

She tried to calm herself.

Calm down. Shut everything outside the nest away—the clamor after the hatchling dragons' gathering dispersed, the sounds of Kobolds sweeping and cleaning, the crackling campfires, the low chant of the night wind passing over the valley—peel it all away layer by layer until only her own breathing remained.

Then slow her breathing further, steady her heartbeat, control her thoughts, and enter a state of complete tranquility.

Next, sink her consciousness into the pure ocean of Heavy-Metal Dragon bloodline, avoid that fierce and savage nature, explore and seek, remain calm, explore, avoid...

As time passed, Valyria's breathing gradually grew heavy. Her formerly relaxed muscles tightened one by one, her heartbeat boomed like thunder, and her strength and presence spilled outward beyond restraint.

The more she tried to curb her consciousness, the harder it became to rein it in. The more she tried to evade her savage nature, the more those churning desires filled her chest.

At last, leaping sparks of electricity burst from the edges of her Iron Dragon scales.

Valyria opened her eyes, and a complicated emotion flashed through her pitch-black vertical pupils.

"I still can't master meditation."

The Young Dragon shook her head, rose to her feet, and paced slowly as she let out a quiet sigh.

She felt some anger in her heart, but even more disappointment.

Dragon meditation was entirely different from the meditation mortals spoke of. Mortal meditation was a means of training the mind and accumulating magic power.

Magic power naturally flowed in dragon blood. Without needing any instruction, dragons could still awaken magic.

Valyria lay with her eyes closed, seemingly just as motionless, but what she sought was not mental power or magic—it was the Giant Dragon's bloodline itself.

In the context of dragons, meditation had another, more fitting name—

"Bloodline Refinement."

Aitixiya had told her that if dragons of the material world wished to transcend the ordinary and complete an elevation of their rank, they had to master Bloodline Refinement.

Whether through meditation, divine favor, or other secret arts, only by mastering Bloodline Refinement could dragons open the Golden Gate that crossed the boundaries of rank.

"Blood Frenzy..."

Valyria murmured, her voice nearly prayerful.

When the Golden Gate burst open with a roar, as their bloodlines continuously rose, dragons would gradually comprehend many ancient and powerful abilities from purer blood.

The first was Blood Frenzy.

It bore different names among different dragon clans. Gem Dragons called it Spirit Infusion, Metallic Dragons called it Blood Rage, Chromatic Dragons called it Rampage, but they all pointed to the same ability—

Make the heart beat beyond its limits, squeeze out enormous quantities of blood, forcibly wring the internal organs, bones, and muscles dry, and use terrifying blood flow to comprehensively strengthen the body's functions or amplify spellcasting ability in every aspect.

When a dragon's body could use Blood Frenzy continuously without being ruined and killed by such astonishing strain, it could be called an "Archaic Species."

It was a leap in the essence of life, casting off the rank ordained by the Dragon God. Even the weakest Nickel Dragon, after becoming an Archaic Species, could easily defeat a Higher Species of the same age.

To open that Golden Gate and become extraordinary, Valyria had striven for decades.

She was unwilling to accept it.

She walked through the nest, loosening her body and trying her best to settle her emotions. At last, she returned to the depression, coiled down, and prepared to try once more.

Valyria adjusted her breathing and entered tranquility.

The secret art of meditation had been taught to her by Aitixiya. Aitixiya was a truly intelligent dragon; although young, she was instead even more powerful. She was also a Variant Species among Gem Dragons, a rare White Zircon Dragon.

All Heavy-Metal Dragons liked being around Gem Dragons, and Valyria was no exception. By a twist of fate, she had met Aitixiya, and the two had traveled together through the forested mountains of Nolan, spending the wonderful days of their adolescence together.

Even now, Valyria still remembered Aitixiya sitting beside her, explaining the essentials of meditation, never growing impatient as she demonstrated it for her again and again.

Afternoon sunlight filtered through gaps in the forest canopy. Aitixiya lowered her head, her face like pure white marble—clear and immaculate, beautiful beyond words.

But Valyria still could not do it.

She had long known where the crux of the problem lay: Heavy-Metal Dragons possessed bodies that were far too dense, and their bloodlines were filled with heavy metallic elements and restless bloodlust. That savage nature was like bubbles rising from boiling water, emerging again and again without end, making it impossible for her to enter the ethereal state of meditation.

Valyria had practiced for decades, taking one wrong turn after another. Even now, though she could occasionally seize a flicker of inspiration, it always vanished in an instant.

Second by second, time passed. After a long while, a furnace-like sound rang out from within the Iron Dragon's body once more, and leaping sparks scattered outward.

Valyria rose, the emotions in her eyes turning cold as she slowly walked through the nest.

Two months earlier, Valyria had written to Aitixiya to ask whether she could pass the secret art of meditation on to other dragons. She had written that letter with exceptional care, silently reading it over several times and making sure its tone was proper before sending it to Shien Peninsula.

She had received the reply long ago. Valyria went to a stone platform in the corner, found the parchment scroll again, carefully held it in her claws, and read it through once more with meticulous attention.

To her surprise, Aitixiya had not minded at all. She said she had never intended to conceal or hoard it, and whether meditation needed to be taught or made public could be decided by Valyria herself.

She had also comforted her in the letter, saying that meditation emphasized emptying the heart and restraining chaotic thoughts and desires. Throughout history, only a small number of exceptionally gifted Gem Dragons had been able to master it, while even Metallic Dragons found it exceedingly difficult to learn.

So she hoped Valyria would not lose heart over this. Even without meditation, perhaps other paths of advancement would appear in the future.

"Curb thoughts, empty the heart."

Valyria spoke softly. Over the past several decades, she had murmured that core principle countless times.

At that moment, she recalled the question and answer session at the gathering place earlier. A Chrome Dragon had stepped forward and spoken of the greatest enemy within one's heart.

Nature.

Hearing that answer, Valyria had naturally become furious.

In order to master meditation and suppress the nature within her body, she had spent her entire adolescence in endless conflict with herself. Not only had her strength failed to increase, it had instead declined day by day.

Only recently had she gained some insight in her heart and gradually freed herself from that internal depletion.

Valyria's realization was that nature could not be fought, nor could the savage nature in one's bloodline be easily suppressed. Otherwise, one would only harm oneself. When exploring the ocean of consciousness deep within the bloodline, one could only ignore and evade it as much as possible.

But that hatchling dragon had spoken a different set of words.

"Curb thoughts, empty the heart."

Valyria repeated the Gem Dragon's principle, then murmured, "See one's nature, and release or restrain it at will."

She felt that answer was truly excellent—so excellent that it seemed unreal. It did not sound like something a hatchling dragon untouched by hardship could say, yet it coincided with the Gem Dragon's principle without prior agreement.

She knew she had lost her composure before the young ones, but that was the path of advancement she had sought so bitterly. When searching for an answer, how could she not be stirred to the point of losing control?

After decades of effort, she could already see the savage nature within her bloodline, but how exactly was she supposed to release or restrain it at will?

The answers were bound to differ among different dragon clans.

In the end, she could only answer it herself.

Valyria shook her head and walked toward a side cavern to inspect the supplies transported from various places.

Since she had received Aitixiya's permission, she could teach the little dragons the method of meditation. Two months had passed, and all the materials she required had gradually been assembled.

She had made an agreement with the Lineage: when this batch of descendants became Hatchling Dragons, if there was one Seventh-Level Calamity, three Level-Six Calamities, and ten Level-Five Calamities among them, it would prove that Valyria's nurturing work had been highly successful. She would then receive part of the Streamlands' territory, as well as ten thousand gold coins from the leader.

Back then, Valyria had joined the Ashmark Lineage alone, carrying neither wealth nor retainers. She had been the weakest among the Lineage's members. Though she was nominally the lord of Ochre Valley, even the garrison outside the valley did not belong to her.

Such a reward was already tempting enough for her.

Thus, though Valyria appeared never to interfere with the hatchlings' lives, she actually valued them greatly and always hoped they would grow faster and larger.

At that moment, rustling sounds came from outside the lava cave.

Valyria raised her head and saw a steel-gray Dragon Hatchling enter, carrying a hint of restraint as it walked in cautiously yet boldly.