The Pitch-Black Dragon

Led by the brown-haired girl, the Dragon-Slaying Team set out for the land ravaged by the evil dragon.

Along the way, they crossed plains, waded through rivers, and entered a wild, primeval forest.

The brown-haired girl gave full rein to her outgoing nature, chatting cheerfully and warmly with her companions, making sure not to leave anyone out.

And so, under her unwitting guidance, everyone lowered their guard a little and began talking to one another.

The members of the Dragon-Slaying Team were all people with stories of their own.

The brown-haired girl needed no introduction: as the one who had proposed slaying the dragon, she was enthusiastic and lively, beautiful and gracious.

Her name was Li Zhi, and she came from a Fox Clan village of the Beastman Race that the evil dragon had destroyed.

The entire village had been destroyed by the evil dragon, but she had unexpectedly survived. From that, her resolve to eliminate the evil dragon had been born.

Jiang Yang could see the bitter hatred and desire for revenge beneath Li Sha's cheerful exterior.

The silver-haired elf Borli, meanwhile, had come to Eastern Cang from the distant West. He was a user and developer of demonic element, and had embarked on the path of cultivation to grow stronger.

Thus, he would never pass up an opportunity to challenge the evil dragon.

The dwarf warrior Tie Zhu and the red-haired human Great Swordsman Zhang Huan were already friends. They had simply happened upon this affair, with curiosity and courage accounting for most of their involvement.

Of course, the temptation of becoming dragon-slaying heroes had influenced their judgment to a considerable extent.

As for Molly, the girl of the Gnome Race, she was not only a mage but also a Bard.

Dragons were not rare creatures in this world, and materials from their bodies were the source of many legendary weapons. She had joined the expedition against the evil dragon purely because she had her eye on the materials its enormous body could provide.

Walking among them, Jiang Yang reflected that perhaps he had not set foot in the mortal world for a thousand years. The desires, pursuits, and emotions of mortals warmed his heart.

And so, he fabricated an identity for himself as well: a wandering swordsman whose home had been destroyed by a powerful strange beast.

He had embarked on the path of cultivation in pursuit of strength and revenge!

In the Silver Age, when people were simple and honest, the six members of the Dragon-Slaying Team spoke freely about their pasts, without any reservations.

By nightfall, a cool forest breeze swept over the campfire burning on the forest floor.

The six members of the Dragon-Slaying Team sat in a circle and began discussing stories of Silver Heroes, filled with longing for their dragon-slaying endeavor.

Molly, the Gnome Race mage who was also a Bard, produced a harp from who knew where and began playing an epic song.

In the present Silver Age, entertainment was scarce, and life offered little.

Poems that Bards composed from stories of gods and heroes were therefore widely appreciated.

"The primordial earth was a sea of floodwaters,

Living beings lay in misery, all creatures homeless,

The great gods sheltered the Silver Folk and brought them to the land after the flood.

On the continent of Eastern Cang,

The great God King Jiang drove the savage beasts from the earth,

And sent the gods to point the way toward hope..."

The widely beloved verses flowed from Molly's lips.

Everyone listened quietly. Jiang Yang gave Molly, who was immersed in her singing, a satisfied glance and thought to himself.

Little Molly, you've opened up quite a road for yourself.

When the song ended, the brown-haired Fox Clan girl stood up and said excitedly.

"This is the story of God King Jiang bringing peace to the Central Plains!"

And so.

Their conversation shifted from the heroes of the various races and the great undertaking of dragon-slaying to the gods they worshipped.

"The Fire God is fierce and commanding, the Earth Mother gentle, the Wind God free and unrestrained, and God King Jiang rules the gods of Kunlun..."

It was clear that they were all devout in their faith.

The next day.

They continued onward, scaling mountains and crossing rivers.

Along the way, they slew countless strange beasts and encountered countless difficulties, but made it through them all with more scares than harm.

On several occasions, King-Rank strange beasts even appeared beside them, but Jiang Yang quietly slew them or frightened them away.

At last, they reached an enormous valley.

All around the valley, life had vanished.

A corrosive power that even Jiang Yang had never seen before ate away at the land, staining the entire valley black.

The Dragon-Slaying Team strode resolutely inside without the slightest fear.

At once, the sight before them left them utterly stunned.

Within the valley.

The bones of countless creatures lay piled into mountains, and an incomparably enormous black dragon rested atop them.

The dragon's black scales were smooth and gleaming, its fearsome horns pierced the sky, and an all-pervading malice struck straight at the heart.

Sensing unfamiliar living beings intruding into its territory, the pitch-black dragon opened its dark-golden eyes with their vertical pupils.

A terrifying aura enveloped heaven and earth. It raised its head slightly, regarded the six before it with interest, then split its blood-basin maw wide and laughed wildly.

"Interesting food, delivered right to my door?"