[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces":3,"chapter-the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-43":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Dragon of a Thousand Faces",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2269689,4431,"Chapter 43: The Path of the False Dragon (Chapter 4, 14,000 Words)","the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-43",43,"\u003Cp>“How did you do that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, how did I do that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How did I do it? I don’t know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Li En still wore a cold expression, but his inner mind was deeply shaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could such a stubborn thing vanish with just punch after punch?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood there, his mutated arm still displayed before him—there was no denying it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What a beautiful Dragon Claw,” Laris’s exclamation came at the perfect moment, leaving Li En momentarily stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You know about this? You know about Dragon Claws?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the Kingdom, there are quite a few who walk the Pseudo-Dragon path, but I’ve never seen such a beautiful Pseudo-Dragon Claw before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So this grotesque arm looks beautiful to her? Uh, miss, are you a bit off in your sense of aesthetics?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet that crystal-like compound eye seemed genuinely mesmerized by Li En’s arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t expect it either,” Li En was still crafting a lie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, truly unexpected—these stubborn creatures’ weakness is Pseudo-Dragon power. But Young Master Li En, you are truly unfortunate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Laris’s face was filled with regret; in her eyes, even a faint residual trace of his full power was this strong—she couldn’t imagine how powerful Li En would be in perfect condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The muscles of this Dragon Arm had near-perfect contours; its Dragon Scales shimmered with arcane crystal radiance—both in raw power and enchantment potential, it stood at the absolute pinnacle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Probably, in his prime, Li En could crush a troll with a single claw strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Truly worthy of the original heir to the Heroic Soul. It’s all our fault that you were forced to awaken your bloodline—your time must have shortened further.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En fell silent for a moment, unsure how to respond—and yet was taken as confirmation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Probably just one or two days left. But it doesn’t really matter—today, a few more or fewer days means nothing to me.\" Li En went along with it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was also true—after eliminating Maria, Li En would definitely settle his Heroic Soul card; these extra one or two days held no real meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing the still bewildered Dimon and others, Laris offered a brief explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pseudo-Dragon is an evolutionary path using Dragon-class materials—it’s a rarity even among rarities in my country.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Supernatural beings can continuously evolve: from Raw Stone to ‘Colored Metal’ marks the beginning, and some even evolve into legendary mythic species like the Phoenix or Behemoth bloodlines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As one of the most dominant native species, the Dragon race naturally has a similar path—known as the Pseudo-Dragon Path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this path is not easy: though Dragon-class species are numerous, they are overwhelmingly the strongest in their respective tiers—other species at the same level are mere minions, while Dragons are almost always bosses, making material collection a matter of life and death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet for reptilian and serpent-like humanoid tribes, this path is most suitable—so it’s no surprise Li En, a Lizardman, is a Pseudo-Dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Pseudo-Dragon Path across the continent is a major route; due to the potency of Dragon blood, its strength and upper limits are guaranteed. But in our Kingdom, due to certain reasons, the numbers are fewer—and most are hidden.” As they walked, Laris explained the unwritten rules of the noble circles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can privately indulge in many things, but you mustn’t flaunt them—otherwise, you’ll face ostracism and siege.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What are these “certain reasons”? Naturally, the royal family’s near-hysterical hatred of Dragons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An empire nearly intact was shattered into mere city-states—this grudge is truly immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But everyone knows this is clearly misplaced blame—why should the hatred of one Dragon extend to all others, even their descendants?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet in recent years, public opinion within the Kingdom made this politically correct—both old and new elites were fanatically anti-Dragon, while in the frontier regions, few truly cared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, Huicheng City doesn’t care at all. The big brute you just saw? He’s one of our city’s most famous Pseudo-Dragon warriors—his bloodline has likely reached Volcanic Sub-Magma Dragon level, and at his tier, he’s utterly dominant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uh, that guy was a Dragon? Not some hippopotamus?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En exhaled in relief—his own power seemed plausible enough—but he still felt his “Dragon Claw” was something entirely different from that Volcanic one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To truly understand this difference, he’d need to find a Dragon-blooded Dragon Hunter girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tch, I can’t fathom how a Dragon-blooded person could hate Dragons so much. Huh, maybe her father sired her and then ran off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling the “Dragon Joke Collection” from his past-life forum, Li En thought of a hellish joke fitting this world’s logic—and nearly laughed out loud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head. Not the time for such thoughts—unknown foes lay ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The appearance of these small beasts signaled that this incident was slipping out of control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for Li En’s squad now, with this targeted power, the path ahead would become far smoother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t need to use the “Dragon Claw.” Li En always felt this power was unstable—each use left him physically uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His physical body might not sustain it long-term.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dragon Eye.” A single glance revealed the small beasts transforming, then charging wildly forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exorcising Slash!” This time, the strike felt satisfyingly clean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with weak enhancement, it was infinitely better than a blank slate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Steady progress—keep the Dragon Claw for emergencies. Dragon Eye’s cost isn’t high.” Li En advanced step by step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But those who advanced as smoothly as they did remained a rare few.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“True Dragon Eye!” Somewhere in the cave, something similar was unfolding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The massive brute, his eyes wide, his pupils transformed into blood-red vertical slits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Volcanic Roar” Kveirduf could no longer hold back—he descended actively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tyrant Flame Claw!” He roared, his arm swelling violently into a colossal Dragon Claw, slamming down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the creature struck still writhed and bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Restraint? Nonexistent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind it, several small beasts watched silently—among them, one even emitted a faint sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eerie tone echoed through the cave, but no one could understand it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Li En been here, he would have known what it whispered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fake Dragon. Fake Dragon. Fake Dragon. Tss-tss-tss. Worse than mud-born impostors.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gurgle what?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kveirduf erupted again in rage—his skin, like lava, cracked open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tiny seeds of flame seeped from his flesh, then burst into fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, flames tinged with Dragon essence wrapped around him—he became a humanoid fire dragon, laughing wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Battle Aura Burst!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, when he swung his “Battle Aura Strike,” the malformed Dragon Claw unleashed a torrent of flame, turning the beast into a burning corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He breathed deeply, drawing in flames as he recovered—the fire blazed even brighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The greatest advantage of the Pseudo-Dragon Path is its overpowered physique—in his view, it was nearly perfect for martial monks. Except he was a rogue monk with no vows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This strike—he was serious. Even an iron gate would melt into molten metal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even so, the monster kept regenerating and counterattacking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You unkillable trash!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enraged, Kveirduf charged forward again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaaahhh!” He roared, braving the flames, tearing the beast apart with brute force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When it became a twitching mass of flesh, regeneration finally ceased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before him, countless others still roared chaotically through the cave—this wasn’t necessarily rational.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Boss’s strength was astonishing—he could still smash through by force. But the other Bosses? Not so sure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They became ripe fruit, targeted specifically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the Third Boss, “Black Iron Anvil” Balgu, stood not just a horde of small beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The target long pursued—the black-robed nun Maria—appeared before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had found his target, yet his face turned grim—over twenty small beasts circled her like tamed dogs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, three bore broken horns and extra, sentient multi-eyed pupils—radiating an eerie, otherworldly evil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you Master Balgu? I still remember how arrogantly you took away my poor child.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was clearly old enmity between them—but now, it no longer mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Goodnight, Master. And please die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Witch! I should’ve killed you all long ago!” But with the beasts lunging, he had no time to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His escape route was cut off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The small beasts, once driven only by instinct, now transformed under the Beast Master’s control—each becoming human-beasts, forming a battle formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, it was the Third Boss of the slave market who had to scramble for his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Maria began her hunt to fund her escape, the person she awaited arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Clang!” A small boat crashed against the hidden river dock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three figures in cloaks and single-eyed masks stepped off silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leader, a giant over two meters tall, glanced around—but saw no woman waiting as agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned and gave his order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Find her. Take her cargo. If she plays games, kill her. If she obeys, kill her after we leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria’s plan was sound—she knew too much; from the start, she had no chance of survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, who would laugh last?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1467,"2026-06-19T21:45:41.002Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","424d73ea06f9248f44b2391d43ed0944f7f1c9f14e1de7a1df8922d6b9833fb1","the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-44","the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-42",362,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-cover.jpg"]