Flames churned, and waves of heat rolled outward.
Yet the Deadwood Branch lay still amid the white flames. Not a scrap of bark curled from the heat, nor was there any sign of scorching. Instead, the firelight brought the cracks across its surface into sharper relief.
"Give it everything you've got, Big Mao!"
Fatty Xin shouted from the sidelines, thinking of the Roasted Suckling Pig the Furry Dragon had already eaten—and the other two it might eat next. "There's no such thing as a free roast! You've got to do right by that pig you just stuffed into your belly!"
"Yee-woo!"
Big Mao snorted two clouds of smoke flecked with sparks. Its eyes went round, its cheeks bulged as though it had stuffed a pig's head into each one, and the motionless Deadwood Branch reflected in its amber pupils. Its competitive spirit had plainly been stirred. A low rumble rose from deep in its throat, like a volcano gathering force before an eruption...
The Dragon Flame had already begun to flag.
But with that fresh surge of effort,
the white flames changed abruptly, shifting from white to green, from green to blue, and finally to a pale gold so faint it was almost transparent, with an almost sacred quality to it.
Whoosh!
Golden fire poured down like a waterfall. Its heat warped the surrounding air, and even the leaves of several Golden Crow Wood trees nearby began to curl and char.
The gravel on the ground popped and cracked. The rocky surface split under the heat like bark. Xuanhuang Wood shook its crown in fury, moving the branches and leaves above the flames out of the way while sprinkling Tree Sap around the area to cool it. But the golden fire turned the sap to vapor before it reached the