Chapter 109: Pearl Dragon in the Ruins

Dulaia Trench, a deep abyss within the dark waters.

Hundreds of meters beneath the surface, the trench extends into even deeper darkness.

As the three kept descending, the fish grew ever larger; giant sharks over twenty meters long appeared everywhere, some with bones exposed on their bodies, and bizarre, snarling fish.

Thanks to the True Dragon's Dragon Might, the abyssal predators fled at the sight of the great dragon, even in the sunless depths; their bloodline instincts recognized it as an unmatched Monster.

"How strange, there are no Fish People here?" Naimi Xisi was surprised; he saw so many fierce large fish, yet no Fish People came to subdue or ride them.

In the deep sea, such large fish lacking supernatural abilities are usually claimed as mounts by conch‑screw Fish People or various intelligent marine beings; Dulaia Trench is clearly a resource‑rich area, yet no Fish People have laid claim.

Ao Duo Li was perfectly clear about the cause: "Because it's inauspicious."

"Inauspicious?" Naimi Xisi was speechless—what kind of reason is that? "Yes, after all this was once a temple dedicated to the Deep Sea Saicila, which was destroyed by plague in an instant, then buried by the earthquake that formed Dulaia Trench."

"The Fish People tribes nearby dare not come here, fearing trouble."

"But the Pearl Dragon, fearless of heaven and earth, has made its home here, leisurely and at ease."

Naimi Xisi used Psychic Ability to bind a massive giant‑toothed shark, teasing its fin with a finger; the simple‑minded shark, unable to move, could only feel angry but not speak.

"These fish could serve as cannon fodder for a while."

The power of the Mind Gem poured forth, and nearly a hundred massive sharks fell under Naimi Xisi's control, clustering around the three as they descended.

Even the aloof Jiafuna Si opened her mouth in astonishment at the incomprehensible scene; Ao Duo Li shouted, "What have you done? It's amazing—why do they obey you? Do you have Sea Emperor Dragon blood?"

"Um," Naimi Xisi admitted he was of mixed blood, but his father was not a deep‑sea royal—Sea Emperor Dragon—but a Flaming Angel who stands on either side of the gods.

"I merely used a beguiling control spell to command them," Naimi Xisi explained briefly, not intending to reveal the source of his power.

Jiafuna Si frowned without speaking; in her view, commanding so many fish required a very powerful high‑Circle spell, and using such precious Spell Slots to control these weak sharks was far from wise.

Despite their massive size, Jiafuna Si alone could easily dispatch them; even though the deep‑sea pressure grants the giant‑toothed sharks great physical strength, against a 12th‑level practitioner they remain no match.

The massive school of fish formed a huge circle around the dragon and the two companions; Dulaia Trench was bottomless, yet after prolonged descent the group finally reached the floor.

"I smell something," Naimi Xisi twitched his nose, as if sniffing.

It was the scent of a dragon.

The owner of that scent cared not to hide, instead flaunting it as a warning to intruders—this is the territory of a True Dragon.

Beneath Dulaia Trench lay an empty void; at such depth, no small fish could survive.

Not far away, half‑buried massive stone pillars stood, their surfaces etched with millennial, water‑impervious inscriptions, informing visitors that this once was a place where civilization manifested.

In this utterly ruined city, one could faintly discern a uniquely styled architecture; massive stones were stacked irregularly, each bearing inscriptions praising the deities.

Naimi Xisi passed through the broken pillars and caught a glimpse of a huge black shadow that vanished.

"Let me see what I've found—hmm, a Juan Ce Long? And a spirit, a Naga—what are you doing in my lair?"

A deep voice echoed through the ruins as a massive black shadow rose, revealing its true form.

The sleek thirty‑meter‑long dragon's scales shone like pearls. Its elongated snout resembled a short‑snouted crocodile, and the lower part of its mouth was like a pelican's gular pouch. A small crown sprouted from the base of its skull, extending along its long neck, body, and tail.

It is an adult Pearl Dragon.

Its pearl‑black eyes stared at the group, filled with deep wariness; for a True Dragon, the most worthy opponent is always another True Dragon.

Naimi Xisi waved his claw, and the surrounding school of fish instantly scattered; the Pearl Dragon grew even more cautious, recalling that Juan Ce Long's spellcasting ability was terrifying, and the scene confirmed his thought.

"We need to enter that bronze gate, mighty True Dragon," Ao Duo Li said with a smile. "Bronze gate?"

The Pearl Dragon's gaze darkened as it said, "Everything here belongs to me, including that bronze gate! You'd better leave, or even as kin I won't let you have it easy!"

It glared threateningly at Juan Ce Long; in its eyes, those two brats were Dependents of the Juan Ce Long, speaking for it here.

Naimi Xisi chuckled at the remark, thinking the simple creature that knows how to harvest pearls wouldn't truly think it would be scared of his rudeness.

"You'd better move aside right now, or I'll make you dizzy and then steal all the pearls from your lair!"

Juan Ce Long's threat made the Pearl Dragon clutch its chest in pain, eyes filled with disbelief—was this still a lawful‑neutral Juan Ce Long? To raid someone's home! "You shameless giant! Even if I die I won't let anyone take my little pearls! I've painstakingly pried them from shells!" the Pearl Dragon roared angrily.

Naimi Xisi replied indifferently, "Then just move aside; the stuff inside the bronze gate doesn't concern you. Don't tell me everything's your property—nonsense. If you don't move, your property becomes mine."

The Pearl Dragon puffed its entire mouth, which already resembled a pelican's gular pouch, swelling to twice its size like a balloon.

"No! It! Can! All! Be! Mine!!"

The pelican‑like massive beak gaped, spewing scalding steam; the cold seawater instantly turned to boiling water on contact, the extremely hot breath sweeping a vast, unavoidable area toward Naimi Xisi.

Juan Ce Long showed no reaction; the Pearl Dragon's breath, like other dragons', was a physical exhalation, immune to Dispel Magic, yet Naimi Xisi's anti‑magic was maxed and he was surrounded by various protective elemental spells, so he feared the heat not at all.

The scorching steam was blocked by a magical shield before reaching Juan Ce Long, and the two behind also escaped the attack.

Ao Duo Li summoned a water attack; a vortex formed around the Pearl Dragon, attempting to whirl the great dragon's body, but its massive form was not so easily affected.

"Tsk"

The Pearl Dragon spat, activating the supernatural ability 【Control Water】; the surrounding vortex instantly calmed, while the seawater, driven by a powerful force, surged rapidly toward Juan Ce Long.

"Damn!" Ao Duo Li, about to continue manipulating the water to counter the attack, saw Juan Ce Long had already cast a spell first.

Five‑Ring Evocation spell—【Ice Spike】! Bone‑chilling energy sprayed from the dragon claw's fingertips, instantly freezing the Pearl Dragon‑controlled seawater into ice shards that fell.

Nearly a hundred giant‑toothed sharks, under Naimi Xisi's mental command, rushed the Pearl Dragon like madmen; though comparable in size, their power was far inferior. The Pearl Dragon could flick its tail to launch a shark, and its claws easily tore the sharks' bodies.

But the foes he faced were more than just these sharks.

A figure streaked toward the Pearl Dragon like lightning; Jiafuna Si's longsword sliced through the water as if there were no resistance, slashing toward the Pearl Dragon's eyes.

The Pearl Dragon swiftly raised its claw; the sword clanged against the hard claw with a crisp sound, and the claw's massive force flung Jiafuna Si away.

"Roar!! Damn bastard! Don't think you can steal Lenaba's property!!" the Pearl Dragon let out a huge roar, seeming to rejoice at repelling the enemy.

But the next moment, he found himself ensnared by a glowing energy net, emitting a silvery, moon‑like glimmer; it looked fragile yet was unusually resilient.

One after another, 【Moon Net】 was hurled by Naimi Xisi, continually binding the Pearl Dragon's body; this Five‑Ring Divine Spell's binding power was immense, and without a terrifyingly strong evil aura like that of a Vampire General, breaking free was nearly impossible.

Three‑Ring Transformation spell—【Fear Spell】! Five‑Ring Necromancy spell—【Fatigue Wave】! While the Pearl Dragon struggled against the Moon Net, Naimi Xisi chanted incantations, releasing two spells: first a teal ray struck the Pearl Dragon's scales, reducing its anti‑magic; then a gray energy wave pierced its body, siphoning its power.

Although an adult Pearl Dragon's scales possessed decent anti‑magic, the two spells still weakened it considerably.

"W‑what did you do!" the outwardly strong but internally weak Pearl Dragon cried out in panic, feeling its power draining, a never‑before‑experienced sense of weakness flooding its mind.

The Pearl Dragon, maddened, activated its supernatural ability, causing the seawater to churn violently, generating fierce turbulence; massive vortices appeared around everyone, and the adult Pearl Dragon's ultimate Control Water covered a radius of nearly a kilometer.

"Let him calm down." Naimi Xisi shook his head, still not giving up even after all this.

The blown-away Jiafu Nasi appeared silently behind the Pearl Dragon's head, her long sword pointing at the opponent's brain; logically, this sword would be smaller than a toothpick to the Pearl Dragon, posing no threat.

But a deadly threat was now emanating from the sword, as if the next moment she would be utterly destroyed.

(End of chapter)