Chapter 51

Several hundred meters away from the shore.

Translation: Several hundred meters from the shore.

On a towering ancient tree.

Translation: On a towering ancient tree.

The agile black dragon perched on the tree trunk, surveying the entire battlefield through the eyes of many mages.

Translation: The fit black dragon stood on the trunk, using multiple mages' eyes to take in the whole battlefield.

It first saw blood drifting on the river bend.

Translation: It first saw the blood drifting in the river bend.

Then it saw its dragon kin fiercely charging at the purple-scaled fishman who rode the giant catfish.

Translation: Then it saw its own dragon people fiercely charging at the purple-scaled fish person who rode the giant catfish.

In the first clash, the battle-qi-enhanced trident sliced a long wound across the giant catfish's body.

Translation: In their first clash, the iron fork imbued with fighting spirit sliced a long wound across the giant catfish's body.

The purple-scaled fishman was clearly surprised by Diwuges's strength, yet showed no fear, apparently confident in his own power.

Translation: The purple-scaled fish person was clearly surprised by Di Wu Ge Si's strength, yet showed no fear, evidently confident in his own power.

It drew its bone-made curved blade, roared at Diwuges, and launched an attack.

Translation: It drew its bone curved blade weapon, roared at Di Wu Ge Si, and launched an attack.

However, after only a few exchanges, the purple-scaled fishman was pierced by Diwuges's trident, leaving several bloody holes.

Translation: However, after only a few exchanges, the purple-scaled fish person's body was pierced by Di Wu Ge Si's iron fork in several blood holes.

The purple-scaled fishman sensed something wrong and frantically retreated.

Translation: The purple-scaled fish person felt something wrong and frantically retreated.

The giant catfish monster also tried to interfere with Diwuges's pursuit to save its master.

Translation: The giant catfish monster also tried to interfere with Di Wu Ge Si's pursuit, to save its master.

But its body is too huge; although it possesses great strength and tenacious vitality, its agility is the giant catfish's biggest weakness.

Translation: But its body was too huge; although it had strong strength, tenacious vitality, etc., its agility was the giant catfish's greatest weakness.

Its attacks are too slow and its moves are crude; it only bites with its big mouth, sweeps its tail, and rolls, allowing Diwuges to easily dodge.

Translation: Its attacks were too slow and its moves too crude—it could only bite with its big mouth, swipe its tail, or roll over, and Di Wu Ge Si could easily dodge them.

With a puff, the trident infused with blue battle qi glowed all over, and under the dragonfolk's exquisite martial arts it turned into a stream of light that cleanly pierced the purple-scaled fishman's abdomen.

Translation: With a puff, the iron fork infused with blue fighting spirit glowed all over, and under the dragon people's exquisite martial arts it turned into a stream of light that cleanly pierced the purple-scaled fish person's abdomen.

The opponent began to fear and begged for mercy.

Translation: The opponent began to fear and begged for mercy.

Diwuges accepted the opponent's submission.

Translation: Di Wu Ge Si accepted the opponent's surrender.

The battle thus ended.

Translation: The battle thus ended.

Leon saw the battle end, did not choose to reveal himself, but flew toward the rear of the fishman army.

Translation: Lai Ang saw the battle end, did not choose to appear, but flew toward the rear of the fish people army.

Meanwhile, the seven young dragons, including Seja, who had been waiting for the battle, upon seeing Leon's return, all excitedly gathered around.

Translation: While Sai Jia and the seven other small dragons that had been waiting for the battle discovered Lai Ang's return, they excitedly gathered forward,

"Big brother, we're ready and can launch an attack at any time!"

Translation: "\"Big brother, we're ready and can launch an attack at any time! \"

"It's already over, we're returning to the tribe." Leon said in a flat tone.

Translation: "\"It's over, we're returning to the tribe. \" Lai Ang said in a flat tone.

Huh? Seja and Edi were instantly dumbfounded.

Translation: "Huh?" Sai Jia and Ai Di were instantly dumbfounded.

Their boiling dragon blood inside had already boiled over, ready to slaughter everywhere, yet you say it's over?

Translation: Their boiling dragon blood inside was ready to slaughter everywhere, yet you say it's over?

"What a bunch of useless trash!"

Translation: "\"What a bunch of useless trash! \"

Seja let out a low, irritable growl, and a mouthful of acidic dragon breath devoured and melted a large tree several meters away, slightly easing his frustration.

Translation: Sai Jia let out a low, irritable growl, a mouthful of acidic dragon breath directly devouring and melting a tree over ten meters away, which slightly eased his frustration.

Lai Ang didn't mind Sai Jia venting his anger at the trees; it glanced at the respectfully silent black-furred jackal person to the side and said softly, "Are you Hog?"

"Yes, I am Hog, Your Highness Lai Ang." Suddenly being called by name by the prince, Hog's heart overflowed with surprise and delight; his nature, honed over several years to be quite steady, now inevitably felt a bit nervous.

"You're not bad; are you willing to become my follower?" Lai Ang spoke without beating around the bush.

Although Hog's strategies didn't amount to much in this battle, after all no one expected the fishfolk leader to lose his head, recklessly charging forward heedless of his own safety, and still be subdued in a few moves.

Had this purple-scaled leader employed the thousands of fishfolk troops in a war of attrition, at least escaping would have been no problem even if Lai Ang didn't intervene.

The purple-scaled fishfolk are fourth rank, and that giant catfish is also fourth rank.

However, from what we can glimpse, Hog is undoubtedly an outstanding talent.

"This is Hog's honor, Your Highness!"

This brave and wise black-furred jackal person was overjoyed, quickly dropping to one knee before the black dragon to show his loyalty and submission.

"All right, let's conduct the dragon clan contract ceremony later when we return." Lai Ang nodded in satisfaction; although it was quite confident the other wouldn't refuse to become its follower, seeing such an outstanding monster talent so excited and choosing loyalty without hesitation, Lai Ang still felt a sense of fulfillment.

As for the dragon clan follower contract,

When the contract was signed with Di Wu Ge Si, a contract had already been engraved inside the golden token; all that was needed was to activate it, requiring no effort from Lai Ang.

But now Lai Ang obviously doesn't have a second token in hand, so it will need to spend some time setting one up itself.

After seeing this scene, Ai Di, Sai Jia, Pa Na and the other young dragons felt somewhat moved.

They had watched Hog's entire operation and command from the sidelines.

Naturally they understood the excellence of this black-furred jackal person.

Moreover, the other side's strength is not weak either.

So, shouldn't they also seek out some outstanding monsters as followers? All the young dragons of the Jadeite Academy have the opportunity within the academy to choose the allegiance of those elite monsters.

Sai Jia and the others are naturally no exception.

However, since they need to follow Lai Ang first to Fish Spirit Marsh to check the situation here, it's not convenient to bring followers along. For now, the elder brother's dragon kin followers are clearly doing quite well here, and they will soon put down roots here, so the matter of followers can be put on the agenda.

"Elder brother, I plan to make a trip to the Jadeite Academy," Ai Di stepped forward and spoke, voicing what was on its mind.

Lai Ang heard this and gave a slight nod, saying, "I understand; I also plan to make a trip back, but not now—let's first deal with the big-toothed fishfolk matter, then we'll talk."

Lai Ang also intends to return to the academy to pick out a batch of elite students.

However, it's not necessarily for followers; the use of the dragon clan follower contract is not unlimited, and having too many contracted followers will also burden the dragon itself.

If it were unlimited, or if the limit were extremely low, even a wild dragon could easily forge a powerful and extraordinarily loyal follower legion.

Given the dragon's decent reproductive rate, the world would probably already be ruled by dragons.

But the reality is that most wild dragons live rather ordinary lives, and there are frequent reports of dragons being slaughtered or captured.

Lai Ang plans to recruit a batch of elite students merely to fill out the framework of his own forces.

Of course, if there truly are exceptionally outstanding elite students, it won't be stingy with its dragon clan contract.

"Is this the Dark Scale Tribe? The scenery is really nice~" The white dragon Pa Na happily fluttered its wings, dancing in the air above the Dark Scale Tribe like a white sprite.

The other six black dragons, upon their first arrival here, also looked over the Dark Scale Tribe with considerable curiosity, and all found it fairly satisfactory.

The jackal person Hog walked over and said respectfully, "Master, Your Highnesses, please follow me; the dragon fort is being built in the rear mountains."

The young dragons began to anticipate.

Lai Ang and the others flew in midair, while Hog raced along the ground at high speed.

Soon, on the mountainside about a kilometer from the Dark Scale Tribe, a stone fort that, though simple, still had a certain grandeur stood there.

The dragon fortress is entirely built from large blocks of grayish-brown stone, each block estimated to weigh over a ton.

Only the infinitely strong trolls of the Darkscale tribe could likely manage to transport and construct such a huge building.

Lai Ang felt very satisfied with this gigantic structure, which stands over twenty meters tall and exceeds a hundred meters in length and width.

It guessed that even with troll laborers participating in the construction, the Darkscale tribe must have spent considerable time and effort.

Sai Jia they also felt satisfied with their future dwelling.

Although it falls far short of the black dragon fortress in the academy, that black dragon fortress has exquisite carvings on its brick and stone walls, and the entire fortress is inscribed with various alchemical formations of different effects, such as those for gathering elements and making the fortress more sturdy and durable. At this moment, the kobolds brought in a large amount of meat into the gray stone dragon fortress.

There are both cooked and raw meats; each dragon highness can choose according to their taste.

Lai Ang also noticed that among them were the cleaned, dissected limbs of the giant-toothed fish-men.

Those arms and thighs, somewhat similar to those of humans, made Lai Ang's appetite somewhat wane as he looked at them.

Although he had become a dragon, Lai Ang still retained his humanity from his previous life and was not assimilated by the dragon's nature.

Of course, although he was not assimilated, it was inevitable that he be influenced by the dragon's powerful nature; the most obvious manifestation of this is——

If at this moment any human dared to provoke and attack it, Lai Ang would unhesitatingly smash them into minced meat with his dragon claws, and he would feel no guilt whatsoever in his heart.

He shook his head, Lai Ang walked up to the cooked monster meat and began to tear into it with big bites.

Ai Di they had no qualms; upon seeing the bloody limbs of the giant-toothed fish-men, their eyes lit up and they eagerly began to eat.

They ate it with great relish, finding it delicious and refreshing.

Huh? Lai Ang noticed that a large white area had somehow squeezed up beside him; he looked up and saw Parna smiling at him shyly and bashfully.

"I also like eating cooked food," Parna said softly.

Actually, Parna doesn't care whether it's raw or cooked food, and even eating humanoid giant-toothed fish-men causes her no psychological pressure, after all she is a pure chromatic dragon.

But Lai Ang likes cooked food and clearly shows his dislike for eating giant-toothed fish-men, so Parna followed suit and began to imitate him.

The weak have an instinct to imitate the strong.

Lai Ang glanced at it, said nothing, and continued eating on his own.

After he was full, Lai Ang summoned Hog and began to set up a dragon kin covenant formation using his own dragon blood inside the gray stone dragon fortress.

The formation took shape, with Hog standing at its center; amid nervousness and anticipation, the covenant formation emitted a faint glow.

Dragon blood began to flow, under some kind of restraint, into the body of the black-furred hyena-man, transforming his weak bloodline into that of a powerful dragon lineage.

Just as he entered, full of excitement and preparing to report his harvest to his master, Di Wugesi, upon seeing this scene, immediately held his breath, daring not to make the slightest movement.

He feared interrupting this ceremony, which was extremely important to his good friend Hog.

(End of chapter)