Bright sunlight spilled over the Green Forest.
Three Dragon Shadows, one blue, one red, and one white, walked slowly over the grass.
The three Dragon Shadows differed greatly in size.
The red one looked the longest, at around five and a half meters.
The blue one came next, at around five point three meters.
The white one was only around four meters long.
Their builds differed like those of a full-grown horse and a young colt.
These three dragons were, of course, Gordon, Xiluo, and Allen.
All three seemed to be in excellent spirits, especially Xiluo and Gordon, whose grins nearly stretched their mouths out of shape.
They went straight to the giant tree where the young adult Green Dragon Barbara lived and quickly climbed to the top.
The Green Dragon lay stretched out, her enormous body sprawled across the tree, and regarded Xiluo with the hint of a smile.
"Got the Gold Coins?"
"We did! And it's all thanks to you not teaching them the Bloodline Refinement Technique, Lady Barbara. Otherwise, we wouldn't have had a chance to earn this money."
Xiluo smiled respectfully and held out ten Gold Coins.
"Hehe. As both a dragon and a Spellcaster, I've always advocated equivalent exchange.
"If they don't offer Gold Coins of corresponding value, they naturally can't learn anything from me!"
Barbara smiled slightly but did not accept Xiluo's Gold Coins.
Instead, she continued,
"Keep these Gold Coins for yourself. You need them more than I do. I have very high hopes for your futures!"
Barbara murmured, her words carrying an implication.
Xiluo blinked and smiled.
"Rest assured, Lady Barbara. I will always remember your kindness! If I'm fortunate enough to make something of myself on Amidoc Star someday, I certainly won't forget all you've done to nurture me."
"Good!"
Barbara nodded in satisfaction.
This little dragon was clever. A hint was all he needed.
"All right, enough of that pointless talk.
"The three of you want the same as before, right? Just leave the money."
She changed the subject.
"Then sorry for the trouble, Lady Barbara."
Xiluo smiled, and the three dragons each left their money.
Xiluo left a full twenty-five Gold Coins.
Fifteen of them had come from the Wyrmlings.
Three had come from the three kinds of goods the human merchant had wanted earlier.
Five had come from the dragon teeth and claws he had previously shed and replaced.
The last two were his earnings from Magic Crystals obtained by killing Monsters he had encountered over the past year.
Gordon left nineteen Gold Coins.
Little White Dragon had only four Gold Coins.
Afterward, they climbed down the tree together.
"Xiluo! You're amazing! Even Lady Barbara treats you with such respect now. No other dragon could manage that!"
The three dragons walked slowly along.
Little White Dragon stayed right beside Xiluo as he spoke, brimming with admiration.
"Hmph! Just a few petty tricks! For a dragon, strength is what matters most!"
The Red Dragon Whelp spoke disdainfully.
"But... even when it comes to strength, Xiluo is stronger! He beat you before, Gordon! And he did it with the power of wisdom," Little White Dragon murmured.
The Red Dragon Whelp's face immediately tightened. He shot him an irritated glare, then growled,
"You little brat! You've been getting rather cocky lately! Don't tell me you think awakening a frost dragon's mutated bloodline means you can compare to me and Xiluo?
"You'd better understand this! Even dragons of the same kind can be worlds apart in strength!"
"I... I wouldn't dare compare myself to Xiluo... Xiluo is the strongest and the best.
"But I'll surpass you, Gordon! I'll definitely become the strongest dragon under Xiluo's command!"
Little White Dragon spoke with absolute conviction, though he edged even closer to Xiluo.
"Surpass me? You? Don't make me laugh! Trash like you? I could pin you to the ground with one claw and beat you to death!"
Gordon sneered.
Xiluo simply watched silently from the side.
This had happened often over the past few months, and he was used to it.
The three dragons were about to leave and return to their living area.
Inside a hollow in a tree,
a Black Dragon suddenly scrambled out. The instant he saw Xiluo, he charged toward him, tears and snot streaming as he ran and howled,
"Xiluo! I don't want the Bloodline Refinement Technique anymore! Give me back my Gold Coins! Boohoo... my Gold Coins! My Gold Coins!"
His words had barely fallen
when Wyrmlings emerged one after another from the other tree hollows and surrounded Xiluo.
"Xiluo... I swear! I haven't used the Bloodline Refinement Technique at all. Please give me back my Gold Coins."
"The other dragons pressured me into it. I never actually wanted to buy it! Give it back! Give me back my Gold Coins!"
Some of the Wyrmlings were still standing, while others had already flopped onto the ground, clutching Xiluo's and Gordon's forelegs and tails as they pleaded desperately.
"Trash! Every last one of you is trash! Get away from me!
"Once you've chosen your path, you should stick with it, no matter how hard it gets!
"Did you think awakening a mutated bloodline would be that easy? Ridiculous fools!
"Those Gold Coins are the price you paid for your own stupidity!"
The Red Dragon Whelp roared and lashed his tail, sending a Wyrmling flying.
He opened his mouth and spat straight into the face of the dragon clinging to his foreleg!
His behavior was arrogant and overbearing in the extreme!
Xiluo studied the young dragons. Almost all of them were there. Although Abel and Alicia had said nothing, neither looked particularly happy.
He couldn't help asking quietly,
"None of you have any mutated bloodlines? Even Allen had one. I thought everyone would."
There was a trace of disbelief in his voice.
At his words, the Wyrmlings' blood surged. They were furious, but also deeply ashamed.
They wanted to curse him.
But after opening their mouths several times and glancing at Little White Dragon, they finally sighed, lowered their heads miserably, and said nothing.
Alicia, however, spoke with a bitter expression.
"I do have a mutated bloodline, but it's... a Giant Tree Dragon's..."
Xiluo's face twitched.
A Giant Tree Dragon? Why that one again?
Could this little female dragon Alicia be related to Barbara somehow?
"Well... that's truly a shame."
He sighed softly, his face full of regret.
"So, could you..." The Wyrmlings were full of hope and innocence, and were just about to continue.
But Xiluo shook his head and declared firmly,
"Of course not!"
"You!"
"Enough stammering! This was a perfectly legitimate transaction! As dragons, we should respect the God of Trade! Respect one another!
"I got money, and you got knowledge. What's wrong with that?
"What does your failure to awaken powerful mutated bloodlines have to do with me? Why are you acting as if I cheated you? Did I force any of you?
"I, Xiluo, have lived an upright life! Every coin I've earned has been fair and square! Open and aboveboard!
"Instead of complaining about not awakening mutated bloodlines, shouldn't you reflect on yourselves? Then train and improve yourselves with greater effort and enthusiasm? Make yourselves stronger?
"What good does it do to come here shouting, complaining, and going back on your word?
"Break it up! Break it up! All of you, get out of here! I still have training to do! I'm very busy!
"I don't have time to argue about this nonsense with you!"
Xiluo scolded the Wyrmlings, then pushed through the crowd with Gordon and Allen, his face stern.
Watching the three dragons leave, the Wyrmlings were overcome with grief.
They collapsed limply to the ground.
Why did this scene feel so familiar?
"Argh! Damn that Xiluo! He's no dragon! Every time, he finds some new way to trick us!"
"He's a Demon God from Abyssal Hell, utterly despicable and shameless! Is he a follower of the God of Deceit?"
"Why? Why did we get tricked by him again? This is the third time! Why does this keep happening?"
The Wyrmlings howled.
Allen's success had gone to their heads.
As expected, the chances of awakening a mutated bloodline through the Bloodline Refinement Technique were still far too low!
"Next time! I swear, next time, I absolutely won't fall for Xiluo's tricks again!"
"I won't say a single word to him! I swear it too! If I talk to him, beat me up! Beat me hard! I won't fight back!"
The Wyrmlings swore their oaths.
"Rooar..."
Just then,
a dragon's roar rang out.
It seemed to come from very far away and sounded indistinct.
But it still made Xiluo and the other two stop and look toward its source.
It had come from the northeast...
The roar seemed to carry anger, impatience, and a warning.
Who had made it? Why did it carry those emotions?
Xiluo was puzzled.
In his seven years living in the Green Forest, this was the first time he had encountered anything like this.
"ROAR!!!"
Another dragon's roar rang out.
It seemed to answer the first in direct challenge.
"ROAR!"
A piercing dragon's roar rang out nearby as well.
It was Barbara!
Xiluo turned and saw the young adult female Green Dragon beating her Dragon Wings and soaring high into the sky, her expression solemn as she gazed into the distance.
Although she had said nothing, the entire group of Wyrmlings erupted.
"What's going on? Can someone tell me what's going on?"
"What happened in the Green Forest? Those roars clearly didn't sound right! Has another dragon refused to accept the Dragon Mother's rule and rebelled?"
"A rebellion? Impossible! The Dragon Mother is nearly legendary. Even if all the other dragons attacked together, they wouldn't be a match for her."
The Wyrmlings chattered, glancing up at Barbara in the sky from time to time, hoping she would land soon and give them an answer.
But the Green Dragon merely remained in the air, continually scanning the distance.
Xiluo frowned and glanced at the Red Dragon Whelp and Little White Dragon beside him.
One looked interested, while the other looked worried.
Xiluo blinked, then went straight to a giant tree, wrapped his limbs around it, and swiftly climbed to the top.
He stretched out his neck and looked in the same direction as Barbara.
Because of the distance, the scene far away looked rather small.
Fortunately, dragons had excellent eyesight. Even from over ten kilometers away, he could see a green Dragon Shadow locked in fierce combat with a golden Dragon Shadow, countless vines surging from the green Dragon Shadow's body toward the golden one like tentacles.
The golden Dragon Shadow breathed flames, burning the vines away.
Then both unleashed all manner of elemental spells at each other.
Explosions lit up the sky, the visual effects utterly spectacular.
"A Gold Dragon fighting a Green Dragon? Damn it! Why is there a Gold Dragon in the Green Forest? It's an invader!"
A shocked growl sounded beside him.
Xiluo turned and discovered that all the Wyrmlings had climbed to the treetops and were craning their necks toward the distant battlefield.
"That Green Dragon looks like Lady Baili'er, the Dragon Mother! I was fortunate enough to see her once before. I wouldn't forget her."
Alicia spoke with her eyes wide.
"Damn those Metal Dragons! How dare one come looking for trouble with the Dragon Mother!"
"The Dragon Mother is a powerful dragon who's nearly legendary, yet that Gold Dragon can fight her? Surely... surely nothing will go wrong?"
"Where are the other dragons under Lady Baili'er's command? Hurry over and help!"
The Wyrmlings growled in some alarm.
But the Red Dragon Whelp in a tree beside Xiluo exclaimed in admiration:
"Roar... As expected of the Dragon Mother. A mere Green Dragon can actually fight a Gold Dragon to a standstill?
It looks like she already possesses strength not much below that of a noble Red Dragon.
Having her serve as our leader for now is acceptable."
The Red Dragon Whelp gave a slight nod as he finished.
He seemed to be expressing his approval of the Dragon Mother.
That arrogant attitude made Xiluo's face twitch as he listened.
But his eyes never left the Gold Dragon.
Until a set of data appeared.
[Adult Gold Dragon] Level: 18 (Excellence-) Status: Good
An Adult Gold Dragon! His level was 18, the same as the Dragon Mother's! And he was in the Excellence- tier!
Xiluo could not help feeling a headache coming on.
Gold Dragons were Metal Dragons.
Apart from mutated variants, they were the strongest among them, just like Red Dragons among Chromatic Dragons.
No wonder he could fight an outstanding mutated dragon like the Dragon Mother to a standstill.
These Metal Dragons were born with a strong sense of justice. They liked to fight the powerful on behalf of the weak and help other, weaker races.
They were famous throughout the Astral Realm and were valuable allies to other races.
Naturally, they were also the sworn enemies of Chromatic Dragons.
Because of their conflicting ideals, the two kinds of dragons had fought for countless years.
What had brought this Gold Dragon into conflict with the Dragon Mother?
Xiluo wondered.
But he was not as worried as the other Wyrmlings.
A single Gold Dragon could not possibly defeat the Dragon Mother!
After all, the Dragon Mother was a lord dragon!
His gaze shifted.
He spotted two more Green Dragons flying out of the Green Forest.
[Young Green Dragon] Level: 12 (Elite) Status: Good [Young Green Dragon] Level: 13 (Elite) Status: Good
Both Young Green Dragons other than Barbara had mobilized!
They roared as they flew toward the battlefield, but did not immediately support the Dragon Mother.
Instead, they dove nearby and opened their mouths, spewing clouds of poison gas...
At the same time, arrows shot up from below.
The Green Dragons using their Breath Weapons swatted the arrows down with their Dragon Wings and climbed back into the sky, then kept flying back and forth, occasionally diving to unleash their dragon breath.
This made Xiluo realize something.
Outside the Green Forest, it was not just a battle between the Dragon Mother and the Gold Dragon. The Gold Dragon had helpers too!
This battle was not as simple as he had thought!
The other Wyrmlings realized this too, and could not help growing more worried.
They kept discussing what they should do if the Dragon Mother lost.
That thought left as quickly as it came!
About a dozen minutes passed.
The two Young Green Dragons seemed to have wiped out their enemies.
With a roar, they turned to attack the Gold Dragon together, bombarding him with poison gas and spells to cover the Dragon Mother.
The Gold Dragon was no match for all three dragons. Before long, their attacks had him howling repeatedly, his glittering golden Dragon Body stained with blood.
Then he opened his mouth and spewed Dragonfire across the sky, forcing the Dragon Mother and the two Green Dragons back, before beating his Dragon Wings and flying into the distance at tremendous speed.
The Gold Dragon had fled!
The Dragon Mother merely watched his Dragon Shadow until it disappeared completely. Only then did she let out a roar of victory and turn back toward the Green Forest.
At the sight, Barbara let out a draconic roar as well.
Before long, nearly a hundred Lizardfolk guards appeared. The Green Dragon ordered them to guard the Wyrmlings, then swiftly flew away.
About an hour passed.
Only then did the Green Dragon return.
The Wyrmlings had already been waiting for a long time, and they all crowded around the Green Dragon as soon as she landed.
The Wyrmlings stared intently at the Green Dragon with wide eyes.
Their gazes were filled with curiosity, confusion, and a little unease.
They wanted to know just what the battle earlier had meant.
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(End of chapter)
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