"Although this Sacred Spring does very little for Saint-level experts, it is a rare treasure for beings below Saint-level. Even if you don't use it yourself, giving it as a favor or trading it with others would be a good choice." Afraid that Luo Ao might turn his nose up at the Sacred Spring, Lawson even went out of his way to explain its benefits.
"Ownership of this Sacred Spring has always been decided through battle, determining which race gets to enjoy it." Lawson then said solemnly, "And that is why I stopped you. Well? Would you be interested in fighting a match for us?"
"To be honest, I am quite interested in it." A faint smile appeared on Luo Ao's face before he spoke again. "Mr. Lawson, you must have invited me because there is someone troublesome among the Saint-level dragons this time."
If Lawson and the others could handle it themselves, they certainly would not have sought outside help. After all, bringing in another outsider inevitably meant giving away a substantial share of the Sacred Spring.
"Hehe, you're right." Lawson was quite frank. "I came to invite you precisely because of your strength! Well? Do you agree?"
Seeing Lawson hold Luo Ao in such high regard, his other companion, Weika, was rather surprised. He knew how strong Lawson was. Could this man be even stronger than Mr. Lawson?
"I agree, Mr. Lawson." Luo Ao had been worrying about where to find such treasures. How could he possibly refuse?
Besides, since Deity Level experts would not take part in this battle, Luo Ao really had nothing to fear.
"With Mr. Luo Ao joining us, if we arrange our tactics properly, we might really have a chance of winning this time." Judging from Lawson's words, even with Luo Ao joining them, victory in this contest still seemed far from certain.
"Is there a particularly powerful expert among the Saint-level dragons?" Luo Ao was somewhat curious.
The two sides taking part in this contest were primarily the Thunder God's disciples and that Dragon God's kin. In other words, their opponents were essentially all Saint-level dragons.
Dragon-type magical beasts were already synonymous with power, let alone Saint-level dragons. Virtually no dragon that could advance to Saint-level was easy to provoke. Some dragons with particularly powerful innate abilities required a peak Saint-level human expert to deal with them even when they had only just entered Saint-level.
And those selected for the contest between the two sides certainly could not be mere ordinary Saint-level dragons.
"Hehe, Mr. Luo Ao might laugh at this, but for a certain reason, we humans have failed to win this contest several times now. That's why I came out looking for outside help." Lawson wore an awkward, bitter smile, clearly finding the matter something of a headache.
The Thunder God and the Dragon God were both supreme beings on the Material Plane, true deities. At their heights, there were already very few things they cared about. Face happened to be one of them.
His disciples had lost to that old dragon's juniors several times in a row. Wasn't that as good as saying the Thunder God was no good at teaching? With the Thunder God losing face, Lawson, as his eldest disciple, naturally felt considerable pressure as well.
Although the Thunder God himself might not necessarily care about such trifles, disciples like Lawson naturally had to find a way to break the impasse.
"Actually, for a time before this, most of our contests with the dragons were evenly matched. It's just that a genius has appeared among the dragons in the past few centuries, which is why we've lost several times." Lawson then explained the reason.
Saint-level dragons were already difficult to deal with, and human experts usually had to be a realm above them to qualify to contend with them. So once someone with a sufficiently high realm appeared among the Saint-level dragons, it was naturally quite normal for Lawson and the others to be unable to handle them.
"This contest consists of five matches, and there is an art to deploying our fighters. If we arrange the matches sensibly, we still have a very good chance of winning this contest." Luo Ao naturally understood what Lawson meant.
If all the powerful fighters on their side could avoid that dragon genius, they could essentially secure victory this time. But if Lawson or Luo Ao ran into that genius dragon and then lost that crucial match, their chances of winning would be rather slim.
After following Lawson and Weika to the Tarde Empire, Luo Ao waited more than two further months before the contest officially began. During that time, Lawson had also sparred with Luo Ao. The Thunder God's other disciples had all watched that spectacular battle and naturally acknowledged Luo Ao's strength.
"Mr. Luo Ao, the agreed battle site is just ahead." Although only five people on their side would fight, quite a few had come along. Essentially all the Thunder God's disciples were there, following behind Lawson and the other four in a scattered group.
This was a broad valley spanning several dozen li, surrounded by sheer cliffs. Anyone standing on the valley floor and looking up would find only a tiny patch of sky overhead, as though they were looking at the sky from inside a well.
From this alone, one could imagine just how deep the valley was.
At the center of the valley was a small lake roughly ten li across, and at the center of the lake stood a white jade platform covering several hundred square meters. Countless tiny holes dotted the platform, welling with milky-white liquid.
This unusual liquid gave off a refreshing fragrance that seeped into the heart and lungs, its scent spreading throughout the valley. The milky-white liquid also released wisps of dreamlike white mist. A thin layer gathered over the lake, its hazy appearance giving one the illusion of being in an immortal realm.
"So this is the Sacred Spring? It really is extraordinary." Luo Ao could sense the abundant life energy contained in the milky-white liquid. For beings below Saint-level, this truly was an unparalleled treasure.
"Humans, you've come again?" A deep, booming voice suddenly rang out. It came from a golden dragon occupying the valley.
"Mr. Elton Christopher, long time no see." White-haired Lawson, dressed in a purple robe, stepped forward first and greeted the Saint-level Golden Dragon.
"Hmm? It does seem to be that time again. I've already notified Dona and the others to come." Not long after Elton the Golden Dragon finished speaking, many more dragons flew over from within and outside the valley.
"Golden Dragons, Thunder Dragons, Tyrant Dragons, Frost Dragons... There really are quite a few of them." Luo Ao glanced at the dragons sweeping toward them, finding it quite an eye-opening sight. This was his first time seeing so many high-ranking dragons gathered together.
"These are the fighters you've chosen this time? A new face at last." Just as Luo Ao sensed something, an aqua-blue streak of light suddenly appeared before them. It was a beautiful dragon, deep blue from head to tail yet as transparent as crystal.
The beautiful dragon cast an appraising gaze over the unfamiliar Luo Ao, as though discovering an interesting toy.
Close behind the beautiful dragon, three more dragons flew past the many dragons in the sky and appeared before them.
These three were a Tyrant Dragon with a weighty aura, a petite dragon whose scales shone in seven colors, and a fiercely imposing Lava Dragon.
Together with the Saint-level Golden Dragon Elton, all five Saint-level experts fighting for the dragons had now arrived.
"Hahaha, something this interesting-you wouldn't mind if I joined in the fun, would you?" Just as the two sides faced each other, an eerie woman's voice suddenly resounded through the valley.
"Roar!" Somehow, that eerie female voice caused the many Saint-level experts considerable discomfort. Some of the weaker dragons even let out pained roars.