"Here."
"Hide well."
In the distant sky, a red figure was rapidly approaching. Each flap of its massive dragon wings propelled it forward a great distance. It moved so fast that it transformed from a small dot into a presence overhead in the blink of an eye.
This was a red dragon, twenty-six meters in length. Its powerful body, scales as vividly red as dripping blood, and the potent magical energy emanating from it all attested to it being a mature, adult red dragon. The red dragon sniffed the air, catching the scent of Sun Sandai, its entire body quivering with excitement.
Seeing the approaching red dragon, Li Xi couldn't help but lick his lips. The first dragon bloodline he had absorbed was that of a red dragon, which was why his draconic wings and scales were red after transforming.
However, at the time, he hadn't realized the dragon blood he'd absorbed was from a young dragon, not an adult. Now, seeing this red dragon, his own bloodline felt a primal yearning—a desire to absorb the essence of this great dragon, to devour it and increase his own strength. The craving felt like a man who had fasted for ten days seeing a steaming beggar's chicken.
Fortunately, Li Xi suppressed his presence completely, preventing the red dragon from detecting him.
The powerful red dragon arrived beside Sun Sandai. The desire radiating from the black dragon, only slightly smaller than him, was as conspicuous as the sun in the sky. Animals often engaged in unimaginable acts during mating, let alone dragons. Dragons were scarce, and encountering a dragon of matching caliber was a rare opportunity. The inherent lechery of dragons almost made the red dragon pounce immediately.
"A fellow dragon. I am Gagdaci, the ruler of Grey Mountain, an adult red dragon." Gagdaci puffed out his chest and unfurled his wings, which spanned over ten meters. His near-peak sixth-level strength allowed him to exude his masculine charm without restraint.
"Greetings, I am Armandra, the Dragon of the Volcano." Sun Sandai continuously assessed Gagdaci's body, as if selecting a suitable mate.
Gagdaci was pleased with Sun Sandai. He pointed in the direction he had come from. "Thousands of miles away lies the domain of my Grey Mountain. I sincerely invite you, my kin, to rule Grey Mountain with me. There, I have dozens of dragon-born, three thousand goblins, countless kobolds, and a squad of bear-goblins dedicated to guarding it. My castle is more than enough for the two of us to live."
"I can agree. I am also very pleased with you. However, I have been emitting my aura for a long time now, and I need to feed extensively." If not for Li Xi and Avril, Sun Sandai would have gladly gone to live with Gagdaci, enjoying a decadent life of ease. Alas...
Gagdaci's face lit up with joy. He flapped his wings. "This is a simple matter for the Lord of Grey Mountain. Wait here."
Li Xi overheard the conversation between the two dragons and was quite satisfied with Sun Sandai's performance this time. He thought to himself that he shouldn't be so harsh with her in the future.
Before long, Gagdaci returned with prey. Perhaps to display his might, he had hunted a Level Four Strigoi, a magical beast whose body was half the size of the red dragon. Strigoi were incredibly powerful, lightning-fast, and possessed lightning as their innate magic.
Gagdaci had taken less than six hourglasses to return, demonstrating his considerable strength.
"Good luck. I just happened to encounter this foolish bird. The meat of a Level Four magical beast has good energy and should be enough to replenish your body."
Sun Sandai could see a clear claw mark on the Strigoi's abdomen, piercing directly into its lungs. The wound alone indicated that the Strigoi had been killed by Gagdaci in a single blow. Even more impressive was that Gagdaci had sustained no injuries, a perfect display of overwhelming power.
"Such a fine prize deserves to be specially grilled. For our first meeting, allow me to present a gift and let you sample my culinary skills."
Sun Sandai tossed the Strigoi's carcass into the air, and with a slight opening of his mouth, a faint stream of dragon fire emerged. He controlled the heat meticulously, ensuring the food wouldn't char while still allowing every inch of its skin to be perfectly roasted. This required great skill and magical control.
Gagdaci watched intently from the side, as if witnessing a flawless theatrical performance, only lacking a gentlemanly clap and heartfelt praise.
In truth, the actions of both dragons were meant to showcase their abilities. If they found something unsatisfactory, they could choose to part ways before mating. They valued strength over appearance. Fortunately, both were exceptional individuals, ensuring their offspring would be even more robust. At this moment, Gagdaci had even conceived names for his future children.
To bring his skills to their fullest potential, Sun Sandai sprinkled various seasonings onto the carcass, an abundance of them that Gagdaci could recognize only a fraction of.
After brushing on another layer of sweet honey, the aroma of the roasted meat was so enticing that even Li Xi found himself salivating. Sun Sandai's culinary skills were now approaching Avril's mastery.
"Come, taste my craft." Sun Sandai tore off half and offered it to Gagdaci, then consumed the other half himself.
Gagdaci gazed at the fragrant roasted meat before him. The moment Sun Sandai ate his portion, it was as if all the food he had ever eaten before paled in comparison to this roast. He couldn't help but say, "Then I shall not be polite."
Li Xi and Avril watched as Gagdaci consumed half of the roasted meat. As he swallowed, they knew that unless the Dragon God himself appeared, Gagdaci's fate was sealed.
Sun Sandai also revealed a knowing smile. "Please forgive me, my kin. I was compelled by circumstances. To survive, I must apologize to you."
Gagdaci did not understand. The effects of the poison had not yet manifested, so he felt nothing. He looked at Sun Sandai with confusion. "What do you mean?"
Sun Sandai bowed respectfully towards the distance. "Master, I have completed the task."
Within Gagdaci's shocked draconic pupils, two humans emerged, both with satisfied smiles. At that moment, Gagdaci felt a profound sense of malice. His strength, nearing the peak of Level Six, suddenly felt as insignificant as that of his goblin subordinates. "Y-you..."
The words that came from his mouth were distorted. Even Gagdaci's normally slow reflexes told him at this moment that he had been tricked.
He immediately tried to spread his wings and fly away, to create distance. However, his massive dragon wings felt like sails buffeted by a gale, uncontrollable. Gagdaci could not fly at all, nor could he control his legs. He lost his balance and crashed to the ground, face-first.
Li Xi walked up to Gagdaci, examining the dragon scales that seemed like works of art. He tapped them, and a metallic clang echoed. The scales were so thick that anyone below Level Three would be unable to penetrate them, and a Level Four at full strength could only break one or two.
Indeed, dragons stood at the apex of the food chain. However, the more precious something was, the more fatal its attraction to certain individuals, especially to someone like Demanga, who had dedicated his life to studying dragons.
The venom from the Abyssal Demon Spider had fully erupted. This time, it was dealing with an adult dragon, and Sun Sandai's dosage was even more insane. In mere breaths, Gagdaci could not even speak coherently. His eyes began to glaze over, his eyelids grew heavy, and he didn't even have the chance to utter a few harsh words to his enemy before he completely succumbed to unconsciousness.
"There are many fatal things in this world. Beauty is also a source of original sin. In your next life, be sure to remember this lesson."
Li Xi took out a crystal ball, infused it with a bit of energy, and the space in the sky crackled and shattered.
Behind the dark expanse, an old, worn wooden door was pushed open, revealing a disheveled old mage with bloodshot eyes. His expression, initially impatient and angry, transformed into a greedy, sharp gleam upon seeing the two massive figures, one red and one black, on the ground.
"My young friend, your abilities are truly immense. You managed to capture two adult dragons within ten days. We originally agreed on one dragon in exchange for the formula for dragon potion, and a promise in exchange for a method to enhance abyssal bloodline. Since you've brought two, both these deals are considered fulfilled."
"Haha." Amidst Sun Sandai's pleading gaze, Li Xi chuckled. "Master, this black dragon is my beloved's pet. She contributed greatly to capturing this red dragon. Both ethically and reasonably, I cannot trade her with you. Let us proceed as we agreed: one trade using this red dragon, and one using a future promise."
"I believe you, Master, will find my future more beneficial."
Upon hearing that she wasn't being used as a bargaining chip, Sun Sandai immediately shrunk to the size of a bat and landed on Avril's shoulder. Even after three hundred years in the underworld, she might not have known the title of Demanga, the Dragon Slayer. However, the moment Demanga appeared, she felt an incredibly dense resentment towards dragons emanating from the old mage. Such resentment couldn't be formed by killing one or two dragons; he must have killed dozens. It was too cruel. Sun Sandai almost burrowed himself into Avril's body.
Demanga's gaze followed Sun Sandai's flight to Avril. In an instant, he recognized Avril's identity. His eyes showed only a flicker of surprise, but a divine descendant did not require his flattery. "Very well, we shall proceed as originally agreed."
With a grab from Demanga, a large hand, like an eagle snatching a chick, scooped up the red dragon Gagdaci and pulled him into his demiplane.
Two ancient scrolls flew from Demanga's hand and landed in Li Xi's. "These two scrolls contain the methods for enhancing both bloodlines. I can guarantee that the dragon bloodline enhancement method is safe and harmless. However, the abyssal bloodline enhancement method carries significant risks. I have worked day and night, but I cannot eliminate the volatility and aggression of the abyssal bloodline. If you wish to safely fuse it, it is best to use divinity to mediate. I have written the detailed instructions on them, and you will understand once you read them. If you don't, ask the woman beside you; she will surely know better than you."
"Your generosity eclipses the sun." Having finally obtained what he desired, Li Xi solemnly stored the scrolls in his spatial ring. He then tossed a ring to Demanga, filled with the meals Avril had prepared over the past few days, enough for the old fellow to eat for a year or two.
Demanga grabbed the ring, his spiritual sense probing its contents, and a satisfied smile spread across his face. "I am leaving. May we meet again. I hope that when we meet, you will already be renowned across the continent."
"Thank you, Master. Farewell."
Eager to examine the contents of the scrolls, Li Xi embraced Avril and quickly returned to Cado City. He instructed Sun Sandai to stand guard outside, then took out the scrolls and began studying them with Avril.