A murky green primeval dragon prowled through the valley, its aura heavy with slaughter. Twenty meters long and over ten meters tall, its body was thick as an elephant's, though far larger, while its serpentine neck stretched eight or nine meters. Its head was like a snake's, save for a single, razor-sharp horn. Its tail, ten meters long, was a fearsome thing, resembling a giant lizard's.
Elephantine body, serpentine head, covered in dark green scales that gleamed coldly—a sight both grim and savage. The unique baleful aura of a ferocious beast permeated the valley, driving all birds and beasts away.
This was the legendary Snake-Elephant Dragon! Though it could not match the likes of the Tyrannosaurus or the Eight-Armed Malignant Dragon in combat, it could certainly contend with a Radiant Holy Dragon. But on this sealed Dragon Island, the great divine powers of legend could not manifest upon it; bestial nature overwhelmed the divine.
Nevertheless, with its formidable body and raging draconic strength, the loss of such powers mattered little. It could no longer strike from afar, but in close combat it was still a demigod! Practitioners who had not reached the demigod realm could not hope to harm it.
At the center of the valley lay a long-ruined grove. The shattered trees had been roughly woven into a dragon's nest. From a distance, several brilliantly green dragon eggs gleamed within the nest, sparkling like jade, with green mist swirling around them, illuminating the area with divine light.
Xiao Chen stood on a cliffside with the three skeletons, clearly observing everything below. The Snake-Elephant Dragon had laid several eggs. The question was not of quantity but of time. Legend said the Ancestral Dragon and its companion dragon would soon appear, and one of the Snake-Elephant Dragon's offspring might become such a being.
Boom... Boom... Boom...
The valley trembled as the Snake-Elephant Dragon trudged heavily toward the exit. Before long, the mournful cry of a wild elephant rang out from the forest. In a short time, the Snake-Elephant Dragon returned, dragging the corpse of a giant elephant. It crouched in the valley and began to feast.
The scene was bloody and hard to watch. Nearby, a massive pile of bones—remains of its past kills—lay testament to its cruelty.
The ferocious dragon quickly tore through the elephant's carcass. Seeming unsatisfied, it shook its massive body and headed out again.
At the same time, Xiao Chen noticed Yan Qingcheng, Lande, and seven or eight other cultivators drawn by the dragon's roar. They lurked in the forest outside, apparently trying to determine if the valley held young dragons.
Xiao Chen communicated with the three skeletons, though he mostly moved his lips and gestured, as he couldn't hear their sounds.
"Slide down this cliff and take one egg each."
"Click-clack..." The skeletons clacked their jaws in confusion.
"Those shiny, translucent things glowing with divine light," Xiao Chen said, pointing at the eggs in the nest.
[...]
The three skeletons were extremely reluctant to steal the dragon eggs. They seemed to know well that the Snake-Elephant Dragon was not to be trifled with. But in the end, Xiao Chen convinced them, and they nimbly climbed down the cliff. Xiao Chen watched the valley entrance anxiously, acting as lookout. Last time, the skeletons had forced him to dig up sacred saplings; now they were even.
Qinguang King and his companions moved swiftly, leaving three white streaks across the valley as they reached the nest in an instant. Without hesitation, each skeleton grabbed a millstone-sized jade-green dragon egg and fled like thieves caught in the act.
"ROAR..." The Snake-Elephant Dragon's bellow came from the distant forest—it had apparently just killed its prey.
Xiao Chen watched anxiously from the cliff. The skeletons, as if their tails were on fire, pushed their speed to the limit. Fortunately, the valley was less than a square kilometer, not too expansive. The three white streaks quickly reached the cliff.
With immense strength, the skeletons dragged the massive eggs and swiftly climbed up. As they reached the top, the ground trembled with heavy booms from the valley entrance. The baleful Snake-Elephant Dragon returned, dragging a five-meter-long tiger carcass.
The skeletons seemed to breathe sighs of relief. Qinguang King even patted his chest in a very human gesture—far from a mere skeleton, he seemed a person with rich emotions.
Though the Snake-Elephant Dragon was much smaller than the Eight-Armed Malignant Dragon, their eggs were similar in size, each like a millstone. The brilliant glow of the eggs lit up the vegetation atop the cliff. The shells were as clear and bright as green jade, with colored mist slowly flowing through the forest—utterly mystical.
Xiao Chen had the skeletons move the eggs deeper into the forest, hidden from the dragon's sight below. This was an unexpected treasure.
The Snake-Elephant Dragon had already torn apart most of the tiger. Sensing something amiss, it warily returned to its nest. Suddenly, an earth-shaking roar erupted from the valley, a terrifying dragon cry piercing the clouds.
Of the five jade-green eggs, only two remained. The Snake-Elephant Dragon went completely berserk. It charged around the valley, shaking the ground with each step. With a furious bellow, it madly rushed out of the valley.
Outside the valley, chaos erupted. The Snake-Elephant Dragon plowed into the primeval forest, uprooting trees, scattering leaves, and sending thousands of beasts fleeing. Such rampages were rare for the Snake-Elephant Dragon, the overlord of this region. All creatures, even other ferocious beasts, fled in terror.
Nearby, several cultivators who had been searching for companion dragons and spying on the valley now cursed inwardly. How had this happened? Who had provoked the Snake-Elephant Dragon? Was there really a young dragon king in the valley? Had someone stolen a cub and been discovered?
They had no time to think—only to flee for their lives. They wished they had wings. The Snake-Elephant Dragon was terrifying, sweeping aside all obstacles like a giant killing machine.
Yan Qingcheng and Lande were also caught in the chaos. Even they could not remain calm. Besides the rampaging dragon, many other startled beasts filled the area, making their situation extremely dangerous. They joined the tide of fleeing animals.
No comments:
Post a Comment