New Arrivals (Part 2)

After discussing it for a while, the Hatchling Dragons watched as the Nickel Dragon shook out his membranous wings again, broke into a wild sprint, then leapt from the foothills and rode the momentum into a glide toward the western part of the plateau to investigate.

The long journey was over, and everyone was somewhat tired. Aside from Bido, who had to carry out the scouting task, the other three Hatchling Dragons went to the lakeshore and simply stopped there, resting while lowering their heads to sip the clear lake water.

Kelaili snorted two streams of white vapor from his nostrils. Though still juvenile, the Cobalt-Blue Overlord had already reached seven meters in size, as large as a full-grown Kodo beast of burden. Even his snorting was thunderous.

He lowered himself to drink, the scales all over his body flexing open and shut. Countless Little Stone Spirits rolled off the Cobalt Dragon, scattering in every direction to gather whatever useful supplies they could find on the spot—firewood, edible mushrooms, and the like.

Quite a few Little Stone Spirits had been lost along the way for various reasons. But as long as the Creation Mother Orb remained in the Cobalt Dragon's storage stomach, they could eventually be replenished, so Xilong was not particularly distressed.

Four Hatchling Dragons, a band of Little Stone Spirits, along with the coins and several blueprints they had each stored away—that was everything they possessed.

Under normal circumstances, if a mortal force wanted to reclaim lost land and restore control over remote territory, it would need to devise a detailed plan. Lords, guards, craftsmen, and laborers would each perform their duties, while vanguards and supply trains marched before and behind, forming a vast army.

Leaving aside whatever rewards might eventually be gained, simply marching such a force into the frontier would incur countless expenditures.

Yet these Hatchling Dragons had come empty-handed, tails swinging behind them. Along the way, they took everything from their surroundings—whether water was salty, bland, acidic, or alkaline, they drank it all; anything living was swallowed raw as food; they could sleep with their bellies against the ground; they could withstand every kind of extreme weather and did not fear injury or bloodshed.

They were practically the perfect model of "frontier pioneers."

The lakeshore was quiet, with only the sounds of flowing water and birdsong around them.

"I'll see what fish are in the lake and catch some to eat," Moqi said. After seeing Xilong nod, he splashed into the water.

Kelaili lazily sprawled down, tucked his claws beneath himself, and looked at Xilong standing nearby, bright, sharp, and sleekly streamlined. Unable to help himself, he licked his teeth.

"I've noticed you're looking more and more distinctive. You hardly resemble a Chrome Dragon at all. Is that the effect of your bloodline advancement?"

Xilong also crouched down beside him and said casually, "Probably. Ladon doesn't look quite like an Iron Dragon either."

"I want to become an Archaic Species too, but it seems like it'd be exhausting, so forget it."

Kelaili paused for a moment, then continued, "Once the Nickel Dragon draws up a complete map, what next? What do you plan to do?"

"We still need to find where the local clans are gathered first."

Xilong thought for a while, a faintly contemplative expression appearing on his face. "What I told you on Dragonbirth Day was a joke, but it was also true. Compared with the other Hatchling Dragons, the two of us eat far too much. We need to consume enormous amounts of meat every day, and I have to swallow metal as well to supplement my nutrition. Relying on hunting alone is inefficient and unstable. That definitely won't do. We need to find retainers to support us as soon as possible."

"As long as you don't egg me on to work and do things, and let me lie around properly, I can go without eating for a very long time," Kelaili said.

"Of course there are things to be done, but we also need to eat. Since I brought you here, I'll definitely take responsibility for you. I didn't bring you here to starve and suffer."

Xilong said.

Kelaili grinned and rolled over, thinking that if Xilong became a Cobalt Dragon, he would probably make an excellent Cobalt-Blue Overlord.

"Splash—"

Moqi burst out of the water and scrambled ashore as if rolling and crawling at once. "There's some kind of Aberrant Monster beneath this lake! A huge thing chased me out!"

Before his words had even faded, the lake surface exploded with a bang. Countless droplets of water shot violently skyward as a massive python abruptly surged up, twisting through the sunlight, its tiny scales reflecting a chilling gleam.

A heavy stench of fishiness washed over them.

Kelaili narrowed his pitch-black vertical pupils and opened his mouth, drawing in a long breath. His thick, short neck pumped as he let out a tremendous howl.

Any ordinary intelligent creature that heard such a howl, even without knowing it signaled a dragon's breath attack, would feel instinctive fear under the influence of their blood and recoil on reflex.

The giant snake pursued Moqi onto shore. Only when it saw the towering figures by the lake did it realize what creatures it had been hunting. But by then, it was too late to flee.

Kelaili exhaled sharply, his powerful throat suddenly compressing. Cobalt Dragons possessed neither frost nor flame; what they breathed was a pure Gravity Pulse, its strength closely tied to their size. Any creature unable to bear a Cobalt Dragon's weight would likewise be crushed into mud by their breath.

The giant snake slammed heavily onto the ground. Its body erupted with cracking blasts; in an instant, its bones shattered, its hide burst open, and its scarlet tongue flopped weakly from the corner of its mouth as blood pooled across the ground.

Moqi had already run behind Kelaili. Seeing the Overlord defeat the enemy in a single blow, he immediately relaxed and walked back, looking the snake over from top to bottom.

He had just opened his mouth to speak when the giant snake suddenly began struggling again. On the brink of death from its grievous injuries, it instead erupted with even fiercer savagery, opening its fang-filled jaws and lunging to bite the Hatchling Dragons.

A thread-thin glimmer swept past Moqi's face, slicing the giant snake's head into the sky. An even more violent gravitational breath followed close behind, blowing the snake's head apart entirely. Chunks of flesh and bone rained down like a storm.

"Hmph."

Cobalt Dragons liked enemies that charged right up to them. Kelaili imitated the tone of a Great Dragon and said with affected coldness, "You sought your own death."

"It was probably a Level Four Disaster."

Xilong walked over, gave it a few looks, and said, "It doesn't qualify as an Aberrant Monster, nor is it a ferocious breed, yet it dared to chase and bite dragons. Near the frontier, the Lineage's influence has fallen to its lowest point. The environment truly is much more dangerous. We need to be careful."

"A Level Four Disaster?"

Moqi froze for a moment. "Isn't that the same as me? The two of you killed it in an instant."

Although both Moqi and Bido were Level Four Disasters, Kelaili had already reached Level Six. Among the young dragons who had once left Ochre Valley, only Jelierion could stand alongside him. Together with Xilong, who had advanced into an Archaic Species, their strength ranked firmly first among all the young dragon groups.

If not for that, Xilong would not have dared to casually set foot on Windsong Plateau, where there was no Great Dragon lord.

Moqi was discouraged for a while, but soon became lively again. In the end, he did not take it to heart. "Never mind. Let's pull out its tendons and skin it first. This giant snake is huge—we should have a good meal before anything else."

"I want it cooked. Can we start a fire?" Kelaili asked.

Xilong nodded and recalled the scattered Stone Sprites. Just as he was about to say something, his scales suddenly trembled almost imperceptibly.

He straightened, as though sensing something, then slowly turned his head and stared toward the northeast, locking onto a rock hidden beneath the shade of the trees.

The watchers' faces changed in terror. They had never expected that, from such a great distance, they would be discovered merely for peeking.

Noticing Xilong's gaze fixed on them, the several watchers did not hesitate. Without lingering for even a moment, they immediately chose to retreat and flee, like coyotes observing a savage beast.

Mountain Goblins?

Xilong narrowed his eyes and withdrew his gaze without giving chase. It seemed these creatures really were organized—and extremely wary.