Chapter 123: Blessed by the Dragon for a Thousand Years

"The teleportation array, lend it to me."

Nagelis quickly turned to Nai Aili.

Nai Aili said without hesitation: "Use it freely—mine is yours."

Ang activated the teleportation array; the forces already prepared on the other side began arriving one after another—the first to appear was Zi Hai, followed by a succession of Zi Hai Titans carrying hoes, shoulder poles, and manure forks.

Nai Aili was stunned: "These… these are Titans? I sense the aura of lightning—Lightning Titans?"

"Mm-hmm, ah, hmm, uh…" Nagelis stammered, not knowing how to respond—how would the real Lightning Titans react if they found out Ang was using their half-breeds as farmers? Probably not happy at all.

As soon as Zi Hai stepped out of the teleportation array, he spotted Dian Zhan watching from afar and shouted excitedly: "Oh oh oh, Little Horse, I've finally found you! Where have you been? I missed you so much!"

He charged toward Dian Zhan with long, swift strides.

Dian Zhan turned and fled, keeping its distance while watching warily—it had been prepared for this. This half-breed Titan completely negated all of Dian Zhan's abilities; she held no advantage except speed.

"Hah! Trying to run? See my Lightning Power!" As Zi Hai shouted, he stomped his foot—the ground erupted in a ring of dirt, and a streak of lightning surged upward like an electric snake, climbing his leg before vanishing into his body.

With every step, lightning exploded from the ground. Zi Hai ran at full speed as if treading on a calm lake, leaving behind a row of erupting mud columns, his entire body trailing afterimages as he closed in on Dian Zhan rapidly.

"Huh? Lightning Power? Has Zi Hai awakened his bloodline?" Nagelis exclaimed.

The second to arrive was Da Wu, who replied: "Yes, Zi Hai has awakened his bloodline power. Many of the younger ones are showing signs of bloodline awakening too. We're deeply grateful to you, God of Knowledge, deeply grateful to Lord Ang."

"Just thank me—you don't need to thank him. You're his followers; it's your duty." Nagelis said.

"Uh… hah, hah… the sun's really strong here." How could Da Wu respond to that? He couldn't agree—it'd be disrespectful to the god—but disagreeing would insult Nagelis.

Dian Zhan galloped with all its might, its hooves flying, terrified by the growing vibration behind it: "She's faster than me?"

The moment the thought crossed its mind, a giant hand seized its tail. To prevent its tail from being torn off, it slowed down.

A giant arm pulled it into a hug, rubbing its head and mane, laughing heartily: "Hah! Little Horse, Little Horse, I missed you so much!"

Dian Zhan struggled in frustration: "My Speed couldn't activate in time—I'd have escaped already. How are you faster than me?"

Zi Hai flexed his arm, bulging his biceps, and small sparks of electricity flickered across his skin: "Sister's awakened her bloodline power. I'll take you out to play later."

"Pfft, who's your sister…" Dian Zhan instinctively retorted, but the giant arm clamped down, lifting it like a panda—rubbing its ears, its head, smoothing its mane—leaving it no chance to speak.

Unable to fight, unable to run, unable to curse—Dian Zhan's eyes filled with despair, and it gave up all resistance.

Twenty-four Zi Hai Titans were teleported over, followed by the smaller figures of Lisa, Feilin, Anna, Lan, and others.

In addition, Ang pulled out all the heavy-armored swordsmen and shieldbearers from Anxi Palace, lining them up in front like piles of iron cans, drawing gasps of astonishment.

Sha Feiya drooled with envy. Ang summoning a horde of Giant Titans didn't impress her—but summoning a dozen iron cans? That made her envious beyond words, because iron was scarce in the desert; even a rusty needle or a kitchen knife was a rare treasure.

She could afford them, but they cost a hundred times more than their practical value—Sha Feiya couldn't bring herself to buy them.

And they weren't practical anyway—against swift desert raiders, heavy armor only slowed mobility. Yet she still envied them—precisely because they weren't practical. Practical gear she'd already bought.

Annoyed, she pulled out a horn and blew into it with all her strength.

Moooo—Moooo—Moooo—a deep, cow-like sound carried far across the dunes.

Nagelis stared at Nai Aili in shock: "Why does it sound like a cow?"

Sha Feiya's face flushed involuntarily, her breath uneven; she took a deep breath to steady herself and blew the horn again.

Nai Aili also blushed slightly, shyly saying: "It's not a cow's call—it's a dragon's roar. Like this: Moooo—Moooo—"

Nai Aili opened her mouth wide, slowly channeling her breath, producing the sound—and indeed, when deeply resonant, a dragon's roar sounded exactly like this.

"Humans lack the breath to produce a true dragon's roar, and low tones carry farther, so we changed it this way. Never mind—I'll do it."

Nai Aili tilted her head back and let out a long, piercing dragon's roar that burst from her mouth, creating concentric rings of blue ripples in the air.

The dragon's roar echoed across heaven and earth, reaching dozens of kilometers away.

Dozens of kilometers away, in a depression among the dunes, a thousand Winged Knights stood ready.

Each rode two horses—one for riding, one for carrying gear, all of which had now been unloaded.

The gear was peculiar: a cylindrical tube, 2. meters long, with an opening at the front where the knight could crawl inside, leaving only his head exposed.

A crossbow was mounted at the very front of the cylinder, its string running through the interior, allowing the knight to reload directly from within. Due to space constraints, each cylinder held only three bolts—once fired, the knight lost all offensive capability.

Sections of rail were dragged out and connected, soon forming thirty inclined rails pointing skyward. The cylinders were placed upon them, ready for launch.

At that moment, the dragon's roar reached them. Tie Leis, seated under a sunshade, leapt to his feet, drawing his sword:

"The Dragon has come! Winged Knights, the time to earn glory is now! Carve your deeds into your wings with dragon's blood—let your family's honor endure forever! Dragon Slayers, advance!"

The cylinders on the rails, pulled by horses, gradually tightened their tension springs. When fully drawn, the latch released, launching the cylinders into the air.

As they left the rails, two metal flaps sprang open on top of the cylinder, forming a triangular shape, connected by a thin, fabric-like membrane—creating wings. Carried by the launch speed and wind, they immediately took flight.

Simultaneously, the knights stomped on pedals inside the cylinder, spinning a flywheel that activated the wind array at the bottom, blasting a powerful gust from the rear, propelling the winged cylinder higher.

The thirty rails launched one Winged Knight per minute. Occasionally, one or two failed to take off, crashing into the sand. If the cylinder or knight was damaged, they were dragged aside and the wind array inside was dismantled.

If undamaged, they were dragged back to the rail for a second launch.

The most valuable part of the winged cylinder was the wind propulsion array—if it remained intact, the cylinder was not considered damaged.

Winged Knights launched into the sky hovered temporarily, waiting for more comrades to join before advancing together, for they faced a Bronze Dragon—without numerical superiority, it was suicide.

Thirty rails, one per minute—launching over a thousand Winged Knights would take at least half an hour.

In Hope Oasis, the dragon's roar had reached every corner. Strong, healthy desert dwellers picked up their curved blades, emerged from their tents, led out their camels, bid farewell to wives and daughters, and gathered toward the direction of the roar.

For a thousand years, the oasis has been protected by the Dragon. Now, it is time for them to defend their protector with blood and life.