Consume Gold, Absorb Iron

Xilong returned to his nest and placed the ore on the ground.

Though he had given Moqi some, there was still quite a lot left. Large and small pieces piled together, their surfaces split by dark-red veins, like a heap of quietly burning coals.

He had waited several days to use his ability, yet now that the time had come, he did not immediately stuff the ore into his mouth. Instead, he first set to work with his claws, forcefully breaking every chunk apart into small pieces convenient for swallowing.

Though dragons would not choke themselves to death like giant lizards, ending up in such a state would still be horribly embarrassing and miserable.

At a time like this, Xilong did not want any unexpected complications.

Only after all the preparations were complete did the Chrome Dragon sit upright in his nest and swallow the crushed ore in small mouthfuls.

Though dragons were said to be capable of devouring all things, if they were truly made to eat stones, every last one of them would find it exceedingly unpleasant.

The broken ore was rough and sharp. As it was forced down his throat, it scraped across the walls of his gullet, leaving behind nothing but searing pain.

Fortunately, Xilong could activate his ability.

[Consume Gold, Absorb Iron]

Warmth first bloomed in his stomach, as though he had swallowed a mouthful of scalding hot soup. Then his entire chest cavity grew warm.

Unlike the fullness brought by consuming flesh and blood, the ore entering his stomach felt like long-awaited water suddenly reaching someone on the verge of dying from thirst, bringing immense relief in an instant.

Those nutrients seeped unhurriedly into his limbs, nourishing his muscles and bones, flowing toward every nerve ending, making every cell erupt in exhilarated cheers.

Xilong drew a long breath, inhaling all the crisp autumn air into his lungs before slowly exhaling it.

Consume Gold, Absorb Iron was not some rare ability. Many dragons throughout history had possessed similar talents, such as Goldstar Forger Nuenlongdun, whose name remained in Xilong's inheritance—

A demigod Iron Dragon who had shone brilliantly during the Cataclysm War.

Legend had it that Nuenlongdun awakened the talent to absorb metal at a very early age. Later, he even devoured an entire Vein Gold planet, forging that dome-like colossal body that made even gods turn their heads.

Yet it had ultimately died, slain by Zelania, daughter of the Three-Tailed Dragon Queen, unable to resist the might of a first-generation blood edict.

Compared with those renowned and powerful beings, Xilong's path of growth had only just begun.

Moreover, Consume Gold, Absorb Iron did not refer solely to gold and iron; it included other metals as well.

However, the amount of metal it could digest each time was limited. According to the grade of the metal consumed, it would slowly activate draconic potential and slightly enhance the user's physique. While the ability was in effect, it could not be used again.

Xilong knew that what he had consumed was merely the lowest-grade iron ore, not even crude iron, with an extremely low metal content.

But for now, he was only a hatchling, a young dragon who had emerged from his egg not long ago. He merely wanted to experience his ability as quickly as possible in the simplest way. He was not aiming too high, and a single mouthful like this already left him thoroughly satisfied.

A wave of drowsiness washed over him, lazy and languid. It was unlike the fatigue before sleep; rather, it was his body reminding him that silent changes were taking place within Xilong.

The little Chrome Dragon did not resist. He casually relaxed his limbs, curled up on the gravel, pressed his cheek against the straw, and soon drifted into dreams.

When he woke, it was already the next day.

In the early morning, the sky over Ochre Valley had not yet fully brightened. A thin morning mist shrouded the mountain hollow. The little Chrome Dragon rose, shook the grit from his scales, and slowly ground his teeth together.

The cracks and chips left behind by chewing ore over the past few days had now vanished without a trace.

The cracks had been repaired and the chips filled in. Xilong raised a clawed toe and tapped it against his fangs. A crisp ring sounded out, and there was no pain whatsoever.

The feeder had indeed not lied.

His teeth, tempered by the ore, had clearly been strengthened somewhat. They were thicker and sharper than before, arrayed menacingly in his mouth, gleaming in the dawn light like forged steel.

Besides that, Xilong sensed another change.

He could not say exactly what was different. It was simply that whenever he moved his limbs, it felt as if some burden had been lifted away, leaving him with an incomparably light and fluid sensation.

He flexed his claws for a while, then swayed his tail. He discovered that the feeling was beyond doubt. His strength had not increased, nor had he become faster, but his control over and awareness of his body had become extraordinarily fine overnight.

The discovery thrilled Xilong, and he dearly wanted to find something to test it on. But a low rumble from his stomach immediately dragged him back to reality, back to the matter most pressing at hand.

Because of his sudden slumber, he had missed last night's dinner.

Food, food—dragons regarded food as their heaven.

Xilong set off toward the gathering ground along the mountain hollow. A light rain had fallen the night before, leaving the mountain earth beneath his feet slightly damp.

The little Chrome Dragon skimmed lightly across it, leaving behind a trail of blurred clawprints.

The morning air was cool, but the scent of meat was especially rich, carried by the wind across every hill and field.

Quite a few hatchlings had already arrived at the gathering ground. They lay around in twos and threes, quietly eating on their own. Even the few Nickel Dragons who usually loved causing trouble were not saying much at this hour, their heads lowered as they focused on filling their bellies.

Jiazhuosa sprawled casually atop a high platform, eyes closed in feigned sleep, her enormous tail hanging down and slowly swaying.

Xilong lowered his head toward the young dragon in respect before finding a spot and folding his hind legs beneath him.

Not long after, two Kobolds came running over carrying a serving of bloody food, carefully setting it before him.

The Chrome Dragon said nothing and simply lowered his head to chew. Morning gatherings had always been quieter than at other times, because the feeder had just awakened from sleep and was in a foul temper. Even the slightest noise might provoke her wrath.

Thus, the hatchlings all acted with great care. Once they had eaten their fill, they hurriedly left, planning to play and make trouble farther away.

As he ate, Xilong slowly thought things over.

Because of his injured teeth, his daily training had been halted for many days. Since he was in good condition today, he had to restrain dragons' lazy, playful nature and put his training back on the schedule.

The potential boost brought by Consume Gold, Absorb Iron had greatly bolstered his confidence. In order to make full use of these advantages, Xilong resolved to create a more detailed plan. From now on, he could no longer waste his days.

Xilong had arrived late, and he ate with slow, deliberate bites, making his meal especially drawn out. As time passed, nearly all the hatchlings at the gathering ground departed. Kobolds had also appeared around the edge of the field, waiting eagerly to clear away the leftovers.

After a while longer, he finally finished eating, licked his teeth clean, and rose to leave.

Only then did he discover that several Lesser Dragons had not left. They were staring at him, and all of them were female dragons.

"Challenging me?"

Xilong felt their predatory gazes upon him. He straightened his body and met their eyes.

Realizing that he was looking over, a Feather Dragon with a body as red as cinnabar hesitated for a moment, then trotted closer with light steps.

She held a chunk of iron ore in her mouth. Their gazes met for an instant, then she placed the ore before the Chrome Dragon. Without saying a word, she ran off again with the other lesser dragons.

"What is this..."

Xilong was somewhat baffled. He looked at the iron ore, then at their disappearing backs. "...What does this mean?"

Xilong actually recognized that Feather Dragon. She was the only hatchling in all of Ochre Valley who knew how to fly, having been born with the ability, so she had always served as the referee during the Racing Competition.

Xilong had often gone racing before and had seen her many times.

Feather Dragons were also called Avian Dragons. Though they were dragons, their habits resembled those of certain enormous birds of prey. They possessed four claws and four wings, as well as wing feathers, crest feathers, and tail feathers that ordinary dragons did not have.

Though Feather Dragons had frail bodies and lacked strength, they were renowned for their vision, perception, agility, and precise hunting strikes.

In that final respect, they were somewhat similar to Chrome Dragons.

After hesitating for a moment, Xilong still picked up the iron ore on the ground. Hatchlings in Ochre Valley treated ore as currency; one piece of ore meant one portion of wealth. Not picking it up simply would not do.

Perhaps word had spread about him stopping Leijieduolei a few days ago, and these lesser dragons had come to express their gratitude.

Thinking this, Xilong did not take it to heart and headed for his training ground on his own.