Both kinds of crystal cost around thirty-three silver coins an ounce. Xiluo's ten gold coins had bought nearly 1.9 pounds, which looked smaller than a human baby's fist.
The entire crystal was a clear, brilliant blue, with faint ripples of water moving inside. It was beautiful.
Allen's Frozen Crystal, meanwhile, was snowy white all over and shrouded in icy mist. Just touching it sent a chill through him, and the amount two gold coins bought was pitifully small.
But Allen certainly did not mind. He grinned foolishly all day after receiving it.
That continued until nightfall.
The two dragons returned to their respective lairs.
Xiluo admired the Tidal Crystal for a while, then put the whole piece into his mouth, crunched it up, and swallowed it all.
Once the Tidal Crystal entered his stomach,
he felt a surge of icy water element and peculiar energy burst forth.
These elements were different from ordinary ones. They darted around his abdomen as though they were alive.
Xiluo employed the secret art within the Bloodline Refinement Technique, controlling the rhythm of his breathing and guiding this energy into every inch of his flesh, bit by bit.
This made him feel alternately cold and hot, and every inch of his flesh trembled and changed.
Only after several hours passed,
and the energy was completely exhausted,
did he open his eyes.
[Strong blue dragon wyrmling] Level: 6 (Elite-+) Status: Good Mutated bloodlines: Thunderfall Dragon (4.5%), Extreme Thunder Dragon (7%)
"The thunderfall dragon bloodline rose from 0.5 to 4.5, an increase of 4% in one go. Ten gold coins bought quite an increase. Unfortunately... the further a bloodline advances, the harder it becomes to improve, and the things it needs become more precious, too.
"Even thousands, tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands of gold coins might not be enough to complete the mutation.
"No wonder so many powerful dragons like robbing others or becoming dragon lords.
"It definitely isn't just greed. They need gold coins to increase their strength, too, just like Dragon Mother Baili'er..."
Xiluo's eyes flickered as many thoughts passed through his mind.
Then he looked over his body, unsure whether he was imagining things.
His scales seemed cleaner and more lustrous than before, with a sleek beauty to them.
He gently touched and shifted them with his claws.
They also seemed a little smoother and tougher than before.
The magic power within him had increased slightly, too...
This should be what that 4% increase in bloodline concentration brought me.
Unfortunately, it's still too diluted. If it were higher, perhaps my body would show more obvious changes, and I might awaken a bloodline ability like Gordon's Molten Earth Armor...
Whatever the case, I need more gold coins!
The next morning arrived.
Xiluo, Allen, and Abel gathered again.
The moment the little white dragon Allen saw Xiluo, he kept looking him over. Only after a long while did he say,
"Xiluo, you seem to have changed a little... Looks like you gained a lot yesterday! You must have gotten stronger, right?"
A trace of envy and a trace of admiration appeared on the little white dragon's face.
"Changed? What changed? Hasn't Xiluo always looked like this?"
Abel, the blue dragon wyrmling, blinked, looking bewildered.
Xiluo gave the little white dragon a somewhat surprised look.
"Allen, you're very observant!"
"Hehehe... Spending every day with you, Xiluo, I've improved a lot... It's all because you teach me so well." Hearing Xiluo's praise, the little white dragon lowered his head shyly.
But he immediately added with some regret,
"Unfortunately, I still haven't changed."
"This is only the beginning. There's no need to be discouraged, Allen! I'm sure it won't be long before you become stronger, just like Gordon and me."
"Tch! So that's it... As a mutated dragon, you've finally shown some changes in your appearance, Xiluo. But they're still so slight that it's perfectly normal I couldn't tell."
Abel spoke dismissively.
Then he suddenly stared blankly at the little white dragon Allen.
"Wait! What did you just say? Unfortunately, you haven't changed? What does Xiluo's mutation have to do with you? And Xiluo, what did you mean, this is only the beginning and he'll become like you and Gordon?"
"Um... Right, you still don't know, do you, Abel? I have a mutated bloodline, too! A frost dragon bloodline."
The little white dragon spoke with a smile.
Abel was instantly dumbfounded.
His eyes went wide, and he stared at Allen in a daze. After a long moment, he suddenly laughed.
"A frost dragon? Mad Dragon Baichuan? You? Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Allen! I know a useless dragon like you wants to become stronger and gain other dragons' recognition, but there's no need to lie, is there?
"Besides, don't we have the four-event competition now? And you're hanging around with Xiluo. What dragon would still dare bully you? So you really don't need to lie."
"Why would I lie to you, Abel? We're friends who hunt together. This is all because Xiluo and Gordon taught me the Bloodline Refinement Technique."
The little white dragon continued explaining.
"Enough! Allen! Do you really think I'm an idiot? No normal dragon would believe such a pathetic lie!"
Abel snorted, expressing his displeasure at the little white dragon who was still trying to deceive him.
"Allen has no reason to lie to you about this. He's already asked Lady Barbara to buy him a Frozen Crystal. I'm sure his body will start changing before long. If you're patient, you can keep an eye on him."
Xiluo spoke up for him.
His words struck Abel like a heavy hammer, making his entire body freeze.
Turning his stiff neck, he looked at Xiluo and asked shakily,
"Y-you're telling the truth? You aren't lying to me? Allen really awakened a mutated frost dragon bloodline?"
"This isn't something we could keep hidden for long, and there's no need to.
"It's just a mutated bloodline. It's nothing that remarkable. Plenty of dragons in the Green Forest have mutated bloodlines.
"The Dragon Mother, Gordon, and I do. Even Lady Barbara has a giant tree dragon bloodline, though unfortunately, it's of little use to her.
"What's so surprising about adding Allen to that list?" Xiluo was unconcerned.
"N-no... No, it can't be... It can't be... This isn't real! It isn't real..."
Abel muttered.
"You really are..."
Xiluo was somewhat speechless. He turned back to the little white dragon and carefully circled him, then suddenly pointed at a scale between the end of his tail and the edge of his rump.
"Look! Here's the proof! This scale should be a mutation that appeared after Allen consumed the Frozen Crystal last night! I knew it. Even if he only consumed a little, there had to be some change!"
Hearing this, Abel shuddered all over. Trembling, he ran behind Allen and looked where Xiluo was pointing.
There was a slightly blue scale there, completely different from the white ones.
It was unmistakably a frost dragon's scale, just as Abel remembered!
"No! No! No! This isn't real! It isn't real!"
Abel's expression changed instantly, and he threw his head back and roared.
"A mere white dragon... How could he... How could he be better than me? I'm a blue dragon! The strongest blue dragon apart from Xiluo! A dragon of such noble stock, with strength like mine! I can't be inferior to Allen... Absolutely not..."
He kept growling, his expression gradually turning crazed.
Before long, he ran off, shouting and roaring.
Xiluo and the little white dragon exchanged a look, each feeling differently.
The little white dragon was rather happy, because he had changed just like Xiluo, and Xiluo had been the one to notice! That left him very satisfied.
But Xiluo could not feel happy at all!
That idiot Abel! He said he'd come hunting with us, and now he's run off without a trace again. He really is unreliable!
He shook his head and helplessly took the little white dragon out to hunt.
While the two dragons headed out,
Abel, like a dragon possessed, had already barged into the Wyrmling Territory!
(End of chapter)
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