The noble golden dragon floated in the air, and Xu Mu's body followed, rising with it.
Qiongqi raised its head again, the Samadhi True Fire in its eyes almost overflowing.
The dragon's hatching process differed somewhat from what he had initially envisioned. The final act it performed was almost tantamount to killing Xu Mu.
Therefore, he was unsure whether the dragon they had painstakingly fed and hatched was friend or foe.
The golden dragon and Qiongqi exchanged glances for a moment, their eyes devoid of fear, radiating nobility and serenity.
"I have tasted your blood, and your hostility. Why do you bear it?"
The golden dragon spoke first, in the dragon tongue.
But as the complex syllables spread through heaven and earth, they automatically transformed into words Qiongqi could understand.
Qiongqi hadn't expected this dragon to speak to him voluntarily.
And its voice was far too mature, hardly like a newborn cub...
"Because if you don't descend from the heavens soon, the person on your back will die."
Qiongqi replied, noticing the wound on Xu Mu's wrist, which had inexplicably scabbed over, seemingly due to the golden light.
The golden dragon heard this, tilted its head slightly, and only then realized there was someone on its back.
The aura emanating from this person was very familiar, evoking a sense of closeness.
"So it was your blood."
A ripple of emotion finally appeared in the golden dragon's serene expression.
Then, Xu Mu's body was supported by a wisp of illusory mist, and slowly descended to the ground.
Qiongqi narrowed its eyes; this dragon seemed to bear no ill will.
He then stepped forward to examine Xu Mu's condition and found it critical.
"He fed you most of his blood for you to hatch successfully."
"If you don't find a way, he will die."
Qiongqi sighed with a hint of helplessness.
Xu Mu's current state was dire. His body was almost devoid of blood, with only his heart and brain, vital organs, holding a small amount, barely sustaining life.
But such a state was clearly unsustainable; Xu Mu could die at any moment.
The golden dragon hesitated for a moment.
Then, it placed Xu Mu's body into the dragon egg that had just shattered.
The golden dragon opened its maw, and countless dragon origins, like wind and rain, surged out.
They cascaded onto the eggshell and Xu Mu's desiccated skin. The eggshell rapidly dissolved, absorbed by Xu Mu's body.
Instantly, Qiongqi heard a strong heartbeat.
Thump!
It was Xu Mu's heartbeat, heavy and powerful.
Qiongqi's expression shifted in surprise. It wasn't just the strengthening heartbeat; Xu Mu's body, withered from severe blood loss, began to fill out gradually.
A mysterious energy flowed, digesting the nutrients from the eggshell.
The energy within the eggshell, after flowing through the Glazed Heart, transformed into vibrant red blood.
Thump, thump...
With each beat of his heart, as his body absorbed the nutrients from the eggshell, Xu Mu's pale complexion gradually regained color. His forehead regained its luster, and even the divine energy within his Golden Core began to increase, multiplying by several times.
In an instant, Xu Mu crossed the threshold of a three-stage ability user, his body radiating brilliance.
Qiongqi silently observed the miraculous transformation before his eyes. Xu Mu seemed to have truly come back to life.
He felt a sense of relief.
Thankfully, Xu Mu was still alive; his only friend had not perished.
Furthermore, he would not have to seek revenge on the golden dragon.
"What... happened?"
The wondrous energy slowly receded, and the transformation within Xu Mu's body was complete. After a three-second pause, he slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing that greeted him was the dazzling golden light.
He felt the strength within his body, a sense of pleasure and power, but he had no idea what had transpired, as his memory was still stuck at the point of bleeding for the dragon egg.
"A dragon?!"
Xu Mu squinted, gradually discerning the object suspended above his head.
It was a young golden dragon, about three meters long.
"Wonderful, you've successfully hatched!"
Xu Mu joyfully got up from the ground, oblivious to the fact that he had just been on the verge of death, and simply grinned foolishly with delight.
His efforts had not been in vain; the dragon had finally broken free from its shell!
"Huh, how am I a third-stage cultivator?"
The golden dragon in the sky remained silent, simply looking down at him. It was then that Xu Mu realized his body felt different from before.
Upon closer examination, he discovered he had become a third-stage ability user, the Realm of Radiance, and he looked at Qiongqi with a face full of confusion.
"Don't look at me, look at him."
Qiongqi shook his head. He felt that Brother Hao Han was not quite the same as before.
Although their current interaction was more comfortable, this was perhaps a bit too simple-minded. What if he caught it from him...
"That eggshell is a supreme treasure of heaven and earth, nurtured by my clan according to the Great Dao's principles. You consumed it, and naturally broke through."
The golden dragon's voice reached Xu Mu's ears. His face, full of surprise and rosy with health, beamed.
"To fall unconscious and reach the third stage, the ancestors truly didn't lie. This dragon is indeed a symbol of auspiciousness!" Xu Mu mused inwardly, causing Charles to frown.
Was this child foolish, completely unaware of how dangerous it had just been?
Xu Mu was certainly unaware. He was still immersed in the joy of the dragon's successful hatching.
"By the way, my name is Xu Mu. I'm nineteen years old and the night watchman of Fengqing Village."
"This one here is Qiongqi, of the same clan as you."
After introducing himself, Xu Mu did not forget to introduce Qiongqi beside him.
Speaking of Qiongqi, Xu Mu suddenly recalled something and spoke again:
"And, he is also your elder brother."
"Hmm?"
The golden dragon seemed not to have heard correctly, or perhaps, couldn't believe its ears.
It opened its mouth and asked:
"What did you say?"
Xu Mu, thinking it truly hadn't heard, repeated: kuAiδugg
"I said he's your elder brother."
"He fed you a lot of blood and contributed greatly to your hatching!"
Xu Mu said to the golden dragon with a completely earnest expression, making Qiongqi beside him feel extremely awkward.
Before the golden dragon's birth, he had entertained the idea of being its elder brother, as it would sound quite impressive... But after the golden dragon's emergence, its mere pressure had forced him to lower his head.
He was barely able to be a junior, and Xu Mu was directly stating that he should be its elder brother?
How many lives did he have to spare?
The golden dragon's gaze sharpened.
It repeated itself, and this time, it finally confirmed what it had heard.
Its eyes then showed a hint of anger.
Did this human believe that by hatching it, he could boss it around?
Arrogant!
The divine dragon's gaze was terrifying, its mouth holding thunder, as if intending to teach Xu Mu a lesson.
But then, it clearly saw the sword hanging from the latter's waist.
Darkness coiled around it, inscribed with countless Great Dao principles, emanating the most potent death and terror.
"A life of equal standing."
The golden dragon's gaze intensified. The sword exerted a strong pressure on it.
Thus, it forcibly suppressed its attack. Upon further investigation, it discovered a ring on the human's hand.
It seemed to carry the scent of his ancestors.
The golden dragon's eyes widened in surprise.
No, not just that. Within that aura, there was an even stronger existence than his ancestors, a peerless supreme being!
Sensing this, the golden dragon forcefully suppressed the anger in its heart.
It asked as calmly as possible:
"Merely for feeding me blood, should he be my elder brother? This is not fair!"
"Given that you have shown me kindness, I shall grant you one opportunity."
"If you cannot provide a suitable reason, I regret that I cannot accept this title!"
Upon hearing this, Qiongqi quickly interjected:
"No need to be so serious, it was just a joke, really."
"Between brothers like us, there's no need to distinguish between who came first; we are all friends!"
Qiongqi spoke with a playful smile, trying to smooth things over, but the golden dragon ignored him, its gaze fixed on Xu Mu.
Xu Mu pondered for a moment, then spoke:
"It's simple."
"Because he was born before you, and he is older than you, he is naturally your elder brother."
The golden dragon did not expect Xu Mu to say this and retorted:
"So what? The world is full of countless ants. Should all those who existed before me be my elder brothers?"
Xu Mu shook his head:
"Of course not. This applies only to those with close relationships, such as Qiongqi, who voluntarily fed you a lot of blood. And he is not an ant; he is a divine beast."
The golden dragon fell silent for a moment:
"What about you? Do you also want to be my elder brother?"
Xu Mu was momentarily stunned, then shook his head.
The divine dragon's anger subsided slightly upon seeing this. This human, it seemed, understood propriety.
But it did not expect Xu Mu to nod his head next.
He heard Xu Mu say:
"I am nineteen years old this year, older than both of you."
"Qiongqi is your elder brother, and I am Qiongqi's elder brother."
"Therefore, I am your elder brother's elder brother."