Murals and Flames

"According to the research of the Ashy Drongo Scholar, the time was approximately ten thousand years ago. She often came here to excavate and investigate, so I try my best to maintain the original appearance and not damage it."

As Lanmo spoke, he breathed another breath of dragon fire into the depths of the cave, igniting several other torches on the rock walls behind and higher up. In the expanded area of light, one could see that some areas had been dug into pits, and the soil had been neatly cleared away, revealing the older rock layers below.

In the native Taya Plane, there once existed an ancient race that resembled modern humans— the Old Humanity. They never evolved the talent to manipulate Magic Power or Dou Qi aura, so as other intelligent races from other worlds successively mastered magical abilities, the Old Humanity inevitably found themselves at a significant disadvantage in the competition.

Their living space was constantly squeezed, and they eventually had to retreat to the edge of the world, to places like Northern Ice Island, where the natural conditions were harsh and other races were too lazy to even covet them.

Two giant dragons moved forward along the passage, passing by rough utensils and bones in the dust.

"The scholar with the Ashy Drongo believes," Lanmo explained, "That this place is very likely the site of the final annihilation of the last non-magic human race on the Taya Plane."

As he spoke, his gaze shifted to the rock wall at the widest point in the center of the cave. "They left behind some... very interesting things."

Yinfei followed his gaze. There stood the most magnificent and intricately carved mural in the entire cave. The mural depicted a grand tribal celebration: a dense crowd of people in various poses gathered around a faint white fire. Some held up simple bone tools as if striking them, while others stretched out their arms and twisted their bodies. The scene was filled with ecstasy.

Yinfei's lips curled into a smile that was a mixture of arrogance and pity.

"Weak Old Humanity? They're so excited about learning to 'make fire by rubbing sticks together' and lighting a small fire?" she scoffed. "Other intelligent races have long since used magic to split mountains and cleave the earth. The weak, how pathetic!"

****

In the open area in the center of the cave, Lanmo cleared and leveled a space, which was filled with all kinds of rare and colorful mineral crystals that he had collected over the centuries. They shone like stars in the flickering firelight, covering almost half of the central open area.

Despite the harsh climate of Northern Ice Island, it is not lacking in various precious mineral resources. However, most of them are buried under the ice cap and hard permafrost, making them extremely difficult to find.

Even so, thanks to the dragon's power, over the course of hundreds of years, Lanmo's collection has become quite spectacular.

The chill that had accumulated on her body was largely dispelled by the warmth of the cave. After a moment's thought, Yinfei decided to get straight to the point.

"Lanmo," she asked in a deep voice, "Why are you helping Zijin?"

"Huh? What?" Lanmo's icy blue dragon eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment upon hearing this, completely failing to understand what Yinfei was talking about. "I'm helping Zijin?"

Yinfei spread out its enormous Dragon Claw, revealing the small picture book in its palm.

With a burst of magic, a clear and steady beam of light shot from her claws. A page in the picture book was instantly magnified countless times and projected onto the wide cave wall!

It was a scene of intense battle: in the icy wilderness, an elegant frost dragon was assisting a massive bone dragon in fighting against a large and well-organized human army!

"How do you explain this painting?" Yinfei demanded. "You helped Zijin fight against the human army in the Northern Lands!"

"But this... this is just a painting!" Lanmo looked at Yinfei in confusion, then turned to look at the projected image. "Although Northern Ice Island is remote, it attracts many explorers every year. My occasional appearances have already spread my portrait far and wide throughout the world."

Yinfei had anticipated this; she turned a page in the book held in her Dragon Claw.

The projected images on the cave wall changed—switching to a spectacular scene of an ice dragon spewing out Meteor Fire Rain!

Splash!

The moment Lanmo saw the picture, he could no longer remain calm. His massive body suddenly stood up from its prone position, shaking some of the surrounding stones.

The Blue Dragon's vertical pupils suddenly contracted, filled with undisguised horror. "This! This... how is this possible!"

"This is a secret known only to you, me, and Dragon King Gelie!" Yinfei's voice was sharp. "Despite being Blue Dragon, you are born with insufficient Magic Power affinity, unable to unleash powerful ice magic! What you comprehended when you advanced to the Saint Rank was not related to ice at all, but rather the completely opposite fire power!"

Lanmo fell silent for a moment. He had kept this secret extremely well—ordinary enemies wouldn't require him to use this level of force, and those opponents who truly needed him to reveal his power had all been reduced to ashes or ice shards. Therefore, there had never been any leaks about his true abilities.

As for Yinfei and Gelie...

Dragon King Gelie believed that this secret could serve as a tactical trump card for the dragon race to deal with potential powerful enemies in the future. Yinfei deeply agreed with this and, together with Gelie Lie, made a covenant of secrecy before the ancient ancestral spirit altar, making it impossible for the secret to be revealed.

Lanmo was stunned. He was completely at a loss for words and didn't know how to defend himself.

"... So," Yinfei looked at the stunned Lanmo, "You've decided to support Zijin in vying for and succeeding as the next Dragon King?"

"No, no, no!" Lanmo's enormous head shook violently. "I've never left Northern Ice Island, and I haven't seen Zijin at all these years..." His voice was filled with genuine shock. "Wait, you mean the Dragon King's throne? That child... has he actually grown to the point where he can challenge for the Dragon King's throne?!"

"It's still a little short of perfection," Yinfei, staring at Lanmo, trying to tell if he was lying, "But not by much. Zijin has enormous potential; her future is limitless!"

"That's quite impressive!" Upon hearing Yinfei's evaluation, Lanmo's dragon eyes flashed with genuine joy. He nodded his massive head with satisfaction. "Our Dragon Race's elite fighting force has gained another dazzling rising star... This is fortunate indeed! It will greatly enhance the Dragon Race's future security!"

****

Yinfei slowly stood up. During her time in the warm cave, the chill had been dispelled, and her body had regained its vitality and agility.

"So, you traveled all this way just because of this misunderstanding..." Lanmo was still trying to explain the misunderstanding, but she only got halfway through her sentence—

In the blink of an eye!

Yinfei raised its Dragon Claw, transforming into a bolt of lightning that tore through the air! Without the slightest hesitation or pity, carrying a terrifying power capable of piercing through mountains and rocks, it easily ripped apart the thick layers of Blue Dragon scales covering Lanmo's chest, and then plunging them into his chest cavity!

"Pfft--!"

Hot, scalding dragon blood, radiating a golden-red luster like lava, gushed out, pouring down on the attacker, Yinfei. His cold face, covered in silver dragon scales, was instantly stained red, and large patches of scales on Lanmo's chest armor were also stained crimson!

"Ugh--!" Lanmo let out a painful and shocked scream!

Driven by the life-or-death crisis, his powerful body unleashed its survival instinct! With a sudden thrust of his giant claws, his waist and tail twisted violently, forcefully shaking off and repelling the half-inserted Yinfei Dragon Claw!

The powerful impact sent Yinfei flying, crashing into the rock wall behind her!

"Boom--Crack!"

A deafening roar accompanied by the piercing wail of rocks shattering! The rock wall that bore witness to the history of Old Humanity for ten thousand years was smashed open like a spiderweb by the enormous dragon's body, and fine dust fell like an avalanche, instantly enveloping the area in a thick cloud of smoke.

At the same time, a strange ripple flashed around Lanmo, and the faint glow of runes appeared beneath his blue dragon scales. A golden-red flame shield formed, protecting his body and the hideous wound.

As the firelight illuminated the scene, the billowing smoke gradually dissipated, Yinfei's figure staggered to her feet from the pile of rubble. She shook off her Dragon Claw, which were covered in dust and Lanmo's blood.

"It wasn't entirely because of that foolish misunderstanding." Yinfei's voice echoed clearly in the empty cave, carrying a chilling mockery, "But just now, I suddenly had a perfect idea!"

She grinned, revealing sharp, menacing teeth. "Why not just kill you right here? Then, stage the scene... as if it were Zijin's doing?!"

"You--!!" Lanmo endured the excruciating pain, staring intently through the flickering flame shield at the completely unfamiliar dragon face before him, a face filled with madness and scheming.

"This kills two birds with one stone!" Yinfei said smugly. "It eliminates you, this potential threat, and completely cuts off Zijin's path to inheriting the Dragon King's throne, or even her survival! It also avoids the risk of me personally killing Zijin in front of everyone!"

Rather than trying to kill Zijin in front of everyone, it would be better to deal with Lanmo in this remote Arctic cave in Northern Ice Island and then carefully disguise the scene.

This is absolutely the perfect solution!

Suppressing the excruciating pain in her chest and the surging blood in her veins, Lanmo's voice was filled with deep incomprehension and grief, "Yinfei, you'd actually turn against your own kind for the sake of the Dragon King's position?!"

"The mere position of Dragon King is unworthy of my attention!" Yinfei laughed, her silver-scaled face radiating an extremely fanatical light. "Great destruction is imminent!" Her voice suddenly rose, filled with piety, "My Lord— the World Serpent, Jörmungandr of the Calamity of the End! He will descend upon Taya! His glory and will will guide us to the shore of eternal life!"

"... Jörmungandr?!" Lanmo's voice was filled with confusion and shock.

"You have no idea how great our Lord is!" Yinfei's voice was laced with sarcasm. "Unfortunately, your power is a tiny bit too strong, posing the slightest obstacle to our Lord's holy descent!" Her smile turned cold. "The task our Lord entrusted to me is to annihilate Zijin and the troublemaker Bone King! As for you... why not send you to hell while we're at it!"