Just then, two ringing dragon roars came from the horizon.
Two enormous figures flew toward them at incredible speed. One was golden from head to tail, its scales glittering in the sunlight-a Saint-level Golden Dragon. The other was blue-green, arcs of lightning slithering over its body-a Saint-level Thunder Dragon.
In the blink of an eye, the two Saint-level dragons arrived above the valley.
"Prequet, what happened to you?" the Thunder Dragon asked, its voice booming like thunder.
The Tyrannosaurus growled, "They want my dragon blood! This Dragonblood Warrior, an Undying Warrior, and two Saint-level magical beasts!"
The Golden Dragon and the Thunder Dragon both turned their gazes toward An.
An sighed inwardly. Three Saint-level dragons. Things had just gotten troublesome. But he was not afraid. This was a perfect chance to test his true strength.
"Big brother, you and Barker take the Golden Dragon," An said, quickly assigning their targets. "Bebe, keep the Thunder Dragon busy. Leave the Tyrannosaurus to me."
"Got it!" Linley nodded.
Barker grinned. "Rest assured, my lord. Leave the Golden Dragon to us."
Bebe squeaked excitedly. "Boss, don't worry! No matter how fast that Thunder Dragon is, he can't outrun me!"
The three Saint-level dragons also noticed their opponents' arrangements. The Thunder Dragon growled, "Prequet, fall back for now. We'll take them!"
The Golden Dragon and the Thunder Dragon attacked simultaneously.
The Golden Dragon's mouth moved as he quietly chanted magic in the dragon tongue. A pure white pillar of light descended from the sky, blasting toward An-the forbidden Light Element spell, Spear of Holy Light. An darted aside, avoiding the pillar's direct strike, but its aftershock still grazed his body.
"Big brother, go!"
Linley and Barker charged at the Golden Dragon together. Linley moved with incredible speed, reaching the space above the dragon's head in a blink. The Black Jade Heavy Sword became a streak of lightning as it thrust toward the dragon's eye. The Golden Dragon tilted his head to dodge, but Barker's battle-axe had already come crashing down on his back.
Clang! The battle-axe struck the Golden Dragon's scales, sending sparks flying. His defenses were so formidable that Barker's blow left only a white mark on his scales. Still, it succeeded in drawing his attention.
Linley seized the opening to unleash Wind Ripple, sending countless purple sword shadows stabbing toward the Golden Dragon's neck. The dragon roared in pain and swept a massive leathery wing at Linley.
Elsewhere, Bebe's battle with the Thunder Dragon was even fiercer.
The Thunder Dragon moved as fast as lightning, constantly firing arcs of electricity from its body to form a net around Bebe. But Bebe was faster still. He darted through the electric net like a phantom, appearing first on one side, then the other. Several times, the Thunder Dragon tried to lash him with its tail, only for Bebe to dodge with ease.
"Little runt, stop dodging if you've got the guts!" the Thunder Dragon roared furiously.
Bebe chuckled. "Fine, I won't!" He turned into a streak of black lightning and hurtled straight at the Thunder Dragon's face. Startled, the dragon opened its mouth and spat a bolt of lightning. Bebe made a sharp turn in midair, letting the bolt skim past his fur, then extended his claws and raked them viciously across the dragon's nose.
"Ow!" Tears streamed from the Thunder Dragon's eyes.
While fighting the Tyrannosaurus, An also kept an eye on the other two battles. Linley and Barker worked seamlessly together. Though the Golden Dragon had formidable defenses, the two kept him pinned down, unable to break free. Bebe, meanwhile, had the Thunder Dragon running in circles.
"Time to end this," An said in a low voice.
He charged toward the Tyrannosaurus.
Seeing An rush toward him, the Tyrannosaurus dared not let his guard down. His tail lashed out like a steel whip. An neither dodged nor evaded, taking the blow head-on.
"Your strength isn't enough," An said coldly.
He closed in beneath the Tyrannosaurus's belly, seized the edges of its scales with both hands, and heaved. Golden Battle Qi surged from his palms. He actually lifted the dragon's enormous body, then slammed it into the ground.
Boom!
The earth shook, and a fissure dozens of meters long split the valley floor. The Tyrannosaurus lay in the crater, gasping for breath, unable to rise.
An turned toward the Golden Dragon and the Thunder Dragon.
"Do you two still want to fight?"
Held down by Linley and Barker, the Golden Dragon had already suffered several wounds. The Thunder Dragon was frazzled by Bebe's antics, its scales covered in claw marks. The two Saint-level dragons exchanged a glance and saw fear in each other's eyes.
This Dragonblood Warrior was far too powerful.
Even with all three brothers joining forces, he had single-handedly overwhelmed them.
"No more fighting," the Thunder Dragon said, the first to stop. "We concede."
The Golden Dragon also dispelled his magic and retreated to the Thunder Dragon's side. The Tyrannosaurus climbed out of the crater with his head lowered, not daring to look at An.
An returned to human form, put on a robe, and swept his gaze over the three Saint-level dragons.
"As I said, I only need your dragon blood," An said calmly. "I won't kill you or enslave you. All I need is for you to give me some fresh dragon blood at regular intervals. In exchange, you can live safely within my fief, and no one will disturb you."
The three dragons exchanged a few quiet words.
As the eldest brother, the Thunder Dragon spoke for all three. "An Baruch, your strength has earned our respect. We are willing to provide dragon blood for you and your clan."
An nodded. "Agreed."
"Big brother, Barker, let's go." An turned and flew toward Chiyan City.
Linley put away the Black Jade Heavy Sword, glanced at the three Saint-level dragons, and followed. Barker and Bebe flew close behind.
"An, with this dragon blood, the Baruch Clan won't have to worry about its bloodline anymore," Linley said.
The Baruch Earl's residence, Chiyan City.
When An and the others landed in the rear courtyard, Hogg was practicing his punches on the training grounds. Though his movements were slower than those of younger men, every move carried the fierce power unique to the Dragonblood Warrior Clan.
"Father," An called.
Hogg stopped and turned around. When he saw the three enormous creatures behind An, his pupils abruptly contracted. "Are those... Saint-level dragons?"
An nodded. "A Tyrannosaurus, a Thunder Dragon, and a Golden Dragon. Father, I captured them to awaken your Dragonblood Warrior bloodline."
Hogg trembled slightly. Awakening his Dragonblood Warrior bloodline was something he had dreamed of countless times in his youth.
"Father, choose one," An said. "Drink its living dragon blood along with blue heart grass, and you'll become a Dragonblood Warrior."
Hogg studied the three Saint-level dragons in silence for a long time. His gaze moved between the Tyrannosaurus, the Thunder Dragon, and the Golden Dragon before finally settling on the Thunder Dragon.
"I choose the Thunder Dragon," Hogg said.
An looked at the Thunder Dragon. The dragon lowered its head. "Master, how much do you need?"
"A small bucket will be enough." An pointed to the wooden bucket prepared nearby.
The Thunder Dragon extended a claw and cut open one of its forelegs. Golden dragon blood flowed into the wooden bucket. Rich with energy, the blood shimmered faintly in the sunlight.
An took five stalks of blue heart grass from his Interspatial Ring and handed them to Hogg. "Father, eat the blue heart grass first, then drink the dragon blood. The grass will temper the blood's violent properties. Otherwise, you won't be able to withstand it."
Hogg took the blue heart grass, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed it up. The emerald juice slipped down his throat with a cool taste, soothing his entire gullet.
Then he lifted the wooden bucket and drank the dragon blood in great gulps.
The instant the scorching dragon blood entered his throat, Hogg's expression changed. His body began to shake violently, veins bulged on his forehead, and sweat poured down like rain.
"Argh-" Hogg let out a low cry and curled up on the ground.
An and Linley stepped forward to support him, but Hogg pushed their hands away. "Don't... don't touch me... I can do this..."
Hogg felt as though he had swallowed a ball of fire.
He gritted his teeth without crying out.
Watching his father's agony, An remembered enduring the same pain when he had consumed Golden Dragon blood all those years ago. It was an unavoidable part of awakening the Dragonblood Warrior bloodline.
Hiss-
Dragon scales began to emerge beneath Hogg's skin. They were blue-green. A dragon horn grew from his forehead, fine spikes sprouted along his spine, and a dragon tail extended from his tailbone.
But the transformation was not over.
Hogg's muscles began to swell, and his bones cracked and popped. His height increased from one meter eighty to two meters, and his shoulders grew considerably broader. He looked twenty years younger.
Roar-
Hogg threw back his head and roared. Waves of sound rolled outward, shaking leaves loose from the trees in the courtyard.
The Dragonblood Warrior had awakened.
An and Linley exchanged a glance, each seeing the excitement in the other's eyes.
Hogg ended his Dragon Transformation and returned to human form.
"Father, how do you feel?" An asked.
Hogg clenched his fists, feeling the surging power within him. "I feel... better than I ever have."
He walked up to An and firmly patted his shoulder. "An, thank you."
An shook his head. "Father, it's what I should do."
Hogg looked at An and Linley, his eyes full of pride. In his generation, the Baruch Clan had finally regained its former glory.
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