Keke scurried over, blinking her large, luminous eyes as if she had understood something. She hoisted a log far larger than her own body and began relentlessly striking at the three skeletons—Qin Guangwang and the others.
“Hey, Keke, stop that!” Xiao Chen hurriedly intervened.
Keke dropped the log, pulled off her precious ‘treasure-tree hat,’ and extended a tiny beast claw to point at the three skeletons, silently accusing them of their crime. Those skeletons had once stolen her treasure tree, leaving her hungry for several days.
The three skeletons clacked their jaws together—
*click-clack, click-clack*—
never imagining that their theft of the dragon eggs today would stir up Keke’s bitter memory. In unison, they turned their bony fingers toward Xiao Chen, as if to say it was all his doing.
“Enough. If you want to take it out on them, we’ll deal with that later. Right now, we must leave this place immediately.” Xiao Chen had no intention of drawing more trouble. He hoisted the golden dragon egg and led the way.
Through the dense primeval forest, Xiao Chen and his companions crossed mountains and valleys, carefully evading all kinds of ferocious beasts. Their speed had been pushed to the limit.
Xiao Chen knew it would not be long before chaos erupted around the sacred mountain. The four ruling dragons would surely go berserk, and peace would not return to the surrounding tens of li for a long time.
In their desperate flight, Keke was the most carefree. She hopped and skipped across the four glistening, translucent dragon eggs, their brilliant divine radiance casting a glow upon her as well.
Xiao Chen and the others dared not pause for even a moment. They fled westward for several dozen li, plunging into the dead-silent forest. Only when they were close to the Death Bone Sea did they stop to rest.
In the silent forest, the four dragon eggs shimmered with a rosy light. Keke alone remained exuberant, bouncing and playing atop the eggs.
“Aooo—”
A faint, distant dragon roar reached them, followed by more roars and bestial cries from the direction of the sacred mountain. Though separated by a great distance, the sounds were still faintly audible. One could only imagine the turmoil near the sacred mountain—the earth must have been shaking, the sky overturning.
“We can’t stay here!” Xiao Chen was wary both of the furious dragons pursuing them and of cultivators who might appear near the Bone Sea. He decided to head west.
As they passed the baleful, deathly Bone Sea, Xiao Chen and his group did not linger. They cut directly through the adjacent dead-silent forest and rushed westward. To the west lay a range of snow-capped mountains, clearly visible from where they stood. On this hot, humid Dragon Island, it was nothing short of a miracle! Taking the opportunity, Xiao Chen decided to investigate.
“Quick, we need to enter that mysterious snowy mountain range—it’s the safest place.”
The snowy mountains stretched in the west, the Death Bone Sea lay in the center, and the mysterious sacred mountain stood in the east. The three regions formed a straight line, separated by the dead-silent forest.
After traversing the soundless primeval woods and then passing through several patches of vibrant, living forests, Xiao Chen and his party finally arrived before the snowy mountains. It was no illusion—a genuine range of snow-covered peaks lay ahead. Pure white snowflakes danced in the wind, and a biting chill greeted them.
Keke was filled with curiosity at the sight of the snowy mountains. Letting out a joyful cry, she dashed ahead and tumbled happily in the snow, her fluffy white body nearly blending in with the drifts, making her almost invisible.
Xiao Chen and the others, carrying the dragon eggs, strode into the snow. The temperature dropped sharply; their breath turned to white mist in the cold air. A wind carrying snowflakes blew against their faces. Looking back at the lush green world a few hundred meters behind them, it felt like a different lifetime. The climate was so utterly unnatural—this did not seem to be the work of heaven and earth’s natural forces!
At the edge of the dead-silent forest, the various alliances had gathered.
Amid the spiritually rich, beautiful peaks, before waterfalls and ancient caves where the essence of heaven and earth swirled, young experts were training. On this savage Dragon Island, strength was the only truth; only those with sufficient power could survive better.
Today, Yan Qingcheng, Kailuo, and Wang Tong returned after being missing for many days, breaking the long silence. The experts they had taken with them had all vanished; only the three of them came back, sparking an uproar. Had they been locked in a fierce battle with Xiao Chen?
At this moment, Yan Qingcheng was in a flower valley. The valley was filled with unknown flowering trees, their tender green leaves setting off the colorful blossoms in brilliant hues. Every bud exuded an intoxicating fragrance.
Yan Qingcheng, dressed in purple, moved among the flowering trees with an ethereal grace. Her entire being seemed hazy and illusory, like an immortal descending to the mortal world. Her face could make the moon hide and flowers blush, overshadowing the vibrant blooms around her.
Not far from her, the spellmaster Lande sat on a green stone. His golden hair was somewhat disheveled; the once sun-bright handsome man no longer bore his former arrogance. His crushing defeat at Xiao Chen’s hands had dealt him a heavy blow. Yet he had not given up on himself. During his recovery, he had trained diligently, trying every means to refine his divine consciousness and grow stronger. Slowly, he recounted how, a few days ago, Xiao Chen had annihilated three alliances with thunderous methods.
“What?!” Yan Qingcheng’s jade-like body radiated beams of divine light, shattering the surrounding flowering trees. Her exquisitely beautiful face was filled with anger, and her soft, proud chest heaved violently.
“Xiao Chen wiped out everyone left behind by the three alliances in a single night?”
Lande nodded bitterly. “Yes. Except for me, who was recovering in this flower valley and escaped the calamity, everyone else has been eliminated.”
After a long silence, Yan Qingcheng could only let out a helpless sigh. “This time… Kailuo, Wang Tong, and I encountered that Purple Dragon King again. Unfortunately, we suffered heavy losses and still failed to capture it.”
Their expedition had been nearly wiped out, and the alliance members left behind had all been killed by Xiao Chen. It was enough to drive anyone mad.
“The Purple Dragon King, the one that resembles a qilin?” Lande was intrigued. When the Purple Dragon King first appeared, it had caused a huge commotion. But soon after, the great upheaval on Dragon Island—the divine light sealing the island—had diverted everyone’s attention.
“Yes.”
“But that’s just a young dragon king. The three of you, all masters, couldn’t take it down…” Lande was astonished. His handsome but pale face gradually gained a trace of color, and his emotions stirred. “The legends say that when they fully mature, even the gods tremble. If we could subdue it…”
“If Kailuo, Wang Tong, and I were each two tiers higher in cultivation, we might be able to subdue it together.” Yan Qingcheng’s voice was full of regret.
“There will be another chance!” Lande said, full of hope.
After Kailuo and Wang Tong returned and could not find any of their alliance members, they learned the truth from others. Both of them were nearly driven mad. Xiao Chen was far too domineering—to have so cleanly and decisively eliminated the men they had left behind. Truly ruthless and resolute!
On this day, all the alliance masters in the region heard the roar of fury—the howl of madness and rage.
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