Little Story

"After opening the door to meditation comes the golden staircase of Bloodline Refinement. By consuming magical potions, you can briefly experience meditation and see the scenery beyond that door. But whether you can truly climb the golden staircase depends on your own abilities."

Xilong opened his eyes, Jiazhuosa's voice still echoing in his ears.

"Could I really be destined by heaven?"

He murmured to himself, a thoughtful look on his face.

Perhaps his soul and mind differed from those of other dragons; perhaps it was the help of Consume Gold, Absorb Iron; or perhaps it was simply because he was exceptionally gifted. He felt that the golden road spoken of by the Nurturer seemed...

Not quite so rugged and winding.

He could see the heavy metal elements within his body, and he could see the ferocity rolling through the ocean of his bloodline. After dozens, even hundreds, of failures, he had just undergone one complete meditation. It seemed he had truly gained some insight and sensed subtle changes.

Xilong raised his claws before his eyes, loosely clenched them, then spread them again, repeating the motion several times.

"Blood Frenzy."

He muttered the words and exerted his full strength. Beneath his scales, his joints bulged sharply, every strand of muscle standing out in vivid relief.

Nothing happened.

Forget it. Xilong was not discouraged. He rolled over and dug around in his nest, pulling out some wild fruit and tossing it into his mouth to savor slowly.

There were no snakeberries or Thunder Bamboo Shoots to eat in Ochre Valley during autumn, but there were still rose myrtles and Indian gooseberries, both wonderfully sweet wild fruits. They were usually difficult to find, and dragons had no patience for searching and picking them, but Xilong was different.

He was now the youngest dragon lord, and the Little Stone Spirits were his army.

As the Chrome Dragon stirred and rolled about, the Stone Sprites, each only the size of a mortal's fist, emerged one after another from the cracks in the surrounding rocks.

They brought their lord fresh food from the crevices in the earth—clusters of red mushrooms and dry-stem fungi—then clicked and clacked as they fitted themselves together, rubbing sticks in the corner until they actually started a fire.

Xilong ate some of the red mushrooms raw, then tossed the rest into a stone bowl to boil. It was a pity there was no salt or seasoning, otherwise it could have counted as a delicacy.

The siege led by Jelierion some time ago could only be described as a disastrous defeat. After that battle, the Iron Dragons were all severely wounded and forced into hibernation, while the remaining Dragon Hatchlings became utterly fearful, no longer daring to challenge the edge of the Archaic Species.

But the days of the Feeding-Seizure Period still had to be endured, and the Dragon Hatchlings each had their own way of living. The Cobalt Dragons slept collectively, intending to tough out the entire month, while the Chrome Dragons occupied various regions of Ochre Valley and filled their bellies by hunting the beasts within the valley.

As for the Tungsten Dragons, Nickel Dragons, and Lesser Dragons...

Ladon was not some vicious beast that guarded its treasure. He had looked forward to the dragons' siege, but after discovering that none would challenge him, he instead found it dull and spiritless. So when sunset came and Ladon had eaten nearly his fill of bloody food, he would return to his own nest to sleep.

That was when the Lower Species would gather around and fight over the bloody scraps Ladon had left behind.

That was roughly the ecosystem of the first month.

Xilong had no desire to fight the Lower Species over leftovers, but the living creatures in the valley were dwindling rapidly. His daily training was extremely demanding, so he ate a great deal. Wild beasts, fruits, and mushrooms alone simply could not meet his daily needs.

As he ate the red mushrooms, Xilong found himself longing for the delicious meat of a Kodo Beast, wondering how he might snatch food from Ladon's jaws.

Whether Archaic Species or Super Species, if they were hungry enough, they would seize a few pieces of meat even if the Nurturer stood guard.

Just then, he heard the sound of wings beating. He shook his head and walked out of his nest, seeing a Feather Dragon pause and land ahead of him.

He knew that Feather Dragon. Her name was Afterglow, and she was outstanding among the Lesser Dragons. She had even received the qualification for meditation, and he had seen her many times before.

Afterglow looked at Xilong, seeming somewhat hesitant.

After a moment of silence, the Feather Dragon finally spoke, her voice clear. "Do... do you have anything to eat?"

Xilong became wary and shook his head. "We don't have food either."

Recently, all the Dragon Hatchlings in the valley had begun worrying over food. Everyone knew Xilong was very fast and could catch anything he saw, but even if he had some to spare, he had to consider his own companions first. There was no way he would share food with other dragons.

Besides, even feeding himself was difficult now.

"I mean, do you have anything to eat?"

The Feather Dragon repeated herself, then added, "If you don't, I have some."

Eh?

Xilong's expression changed, and his eyes lit up. "What delicious food do you have?"

"Come with me." Afterglow turned around.

Xilong followed without the slightest hesitation, as though he had not been the one harboring hostility just moments ago. They left the back slope of Eaglebeak Cliff, entered the range of Bay Lake, arrived at the Lesser Dragons' habitat, and then came before a cliff face.

Afterglow beat her wings and flew upward.

There was a hollow at the top of the cliff face. Feather Dragons liked to build nests upon sheer cliffs, but the highest precipices in Ochre Valley had basically all been occupied by the Chrome Dragons. She could only settle for second best and choose this rock wall beside Bay Lake, where she could still remain with the other Lesser Dragons.

Xilong could not fly. He climbed for some distance up the nearly vertical cliff face before making an agile leap into the hollow in the rock. He did not make much noise, but compared with the Feather Dragon, he was like a mountain cat beside a hawk.

The hollow formed a natural stone cave. It was not high up, but it was level, and the view was fairly open.

Yet the moment he entered the cave, Xilong caught a thick, fishy, rank stench.

Chrome Dragons had extraordinarily keen senses and were not very tolerant of strange odors. Xilong's expression shifted slightly. He had not expected the Feather Dragon's nest to smell so strong, and he bared his fangs a little.

Afterglow seemed utterly unaware. She led Xilong to one side, where the fishy, rank odor grew even heavier. Xilong turned his head and saw that a large quantity of wild prey had been piled there.

There were two or three Rust Rabbits and a Roe Deer, which Xilong recognized because they had once been common in Ochre Valley. But there were also many things he had never seen before, all covered in long feathers. They appeared to be flying birds such as eagles, birds of prey, and hawks.

"Rust Rabbits and Roe Deer—I've seen that everyone likes them, so you can eat them."

Afterglow went over and pulled out the food, sorting them one by one. "This is a Pheasant. Its meat is very firm, but it can be eaten too. There are also Great Bustards here. These are the best. There's only one left."

"How do you have so much meat?"

Xilong stepped closer. This time, he no longer found the smell foul. His eyes shone as he looked this way and that.

"Did you go hunting outside?" he asked. It was no secret that Feather Dragons could fly; everyone knew it.

"Don't tell the other dragons."

Afterglow reminded him quietly. "I don't dare go out often either. If the Nurturer finds out, I'll be tied up and beaten. So every time I go, I hunt more and pile it in my nest. It can last me many days."

Xilong nodded lightly to show that he understood. Without hesitation, he went straight over and ate the Roe Deer and Rust Rabbits. Crunch, crunch. He chewed up even the bones and swallowed them into his stomach.

He truly had not been eating well lately. With a chance to improve his meals, he could not let it pass.

Afterglow watched him chew without saying anything. After a while, she took a Pheasant herself and began eating it in small bites.

After she had eaten, she moved to one side, wiped her face clean with her wing feathers, and quietly groomed her scales and plumage in the corner.

Only after quite some time did Xilong finish eating. He had consumed every bit of the Rust Rabbits and Roe Deer, and he swished his tail in satisfaction.

He watched Afterglow's movements, then noticed the Feather Dragon's nest bed on the other side of the cave. It was built from branches and vines, clearly tended often, and was very clean.

Xilong found it somewhat strange.

He sniffed the scent in the nest again, then moved close to Afterglow and gave her a low sniff.

The Feather Dragon was startled by his sudden movement and retreated several steps in succession. Her drooping feathers rose one by one, her claws clicking against each other as she stared at Xilong warily.

"So the smell wasn't from the nest. You smell fragrant."

Xilong returned to his place and said, "It's the food here. There's quite a lot, and it's been piled up for a while. Let me freeze it for you."

As he spoke, he lowered his head and breathed out the cold current of a Chrome Dragon, freezing the Pheasants and Great Bustards one after another.

"This can preserve them for a while, but you still need to eat them soon. If they sit too long, they really start to stink. They get a little too fishy and rank."

Xilong said it with complete seriousness.

Afterglow froze for a moment, the feathers all over her body seeming to suddenly catch fire. "Do these smell bad? I thought that was just the ordinary smell of food."

"Maybe Chrome Dragons are more sensitive. Don't mind it."

Xilong smiled. "Your food is very good. If there's another chance, I'll invite you instead."

With that, he sprang out in a single leap and left the Feather Dragon's nest.