Chapter 12: Crimson Scale Snake (Requesting Monthly Tickets, Requesting Follows)

"At full speed, my wing slash has immense power—I doubt even my own defenses could withstand it."

Luo Si thought silently to himself.

The armor on the Earth Bear’s body, though rock-like in texture, was harder than ordinary metal and steel, and its arm armor was especially thick; its fur, flesh, and bones were no less resilient.

Yet even so, it was severed in a single strike by Luo Si’s dragon wings.

Throughout this brief moment, he felt almost no resistance or pause.

His body sliced through the air in a low arc; his claws left long fissures on the ground as he landed firmly on the far side, then bent his limbs slightly, muscle fibers beneath his dragon scales tightening like twisted steel cables, unleashing tremendous power.

His dragon wings flared faster.

Luo Si sprinted across the ground, each step shattering the surface, his wing blades shearing through trees along the way—his momentum was so immense it seemed anything but that of a hatchling, as he charged once more toward the Earth Bear.

This battle was primarily to test the strength of his current dragon wings.

As for the self-sacrificing impact technique known as Great Dragon Yun , Luo Si had already mastered it effortlessly.

Intense pain surged from the severed arm; facing the overwhelming, seemingly unstoppable dragon aura, the Earth Bear’s innate ferocity vanished, its mouth no longer roaring but emitting a whimper.

Then.

Luo Si, sprinting at full speed and attempting to cleave the Earth Bear cleanly in two with his wings, froze in shock as the creature before him whimpered, then dropped flat to the ground in a clean, submissive posture—hindquarters raised, head bowed, nearly buried itself in the soil, offering no resistance.

Whoosh!

Just inches from colliding with the Earth Bear, the hatchling suddenly pulled upward.

Luo Si shot straight up, pivoted midair, and landed Wenwen , choosing not to kill the Earth Bear.

He felt the wind cease and the dragon aura dissipate.

The Earth Bear cautiously lifted its head, gazing at the hatchling walking steadily toward it.

"Wu a wu la!"

It whimpered, its eyes filled with human-like pleading and fear.

Demonic creatures possess higher intelligence; the Earth Bear, in particular, has intelligence equal to that of humans—a sentient being, naturally capable of speaking some Giant tongue.

The Giants are enemies of the dragon kind.

As the saying goes, your greatest enemy knows you best.

The Dragon Legacy contains Giant tongue; Luo Si understands it.

"Noble dragon, please spare me"—this was roughly the meaning of the Earth Bear’s words just now.

"The Legacy describes Earth Bears as fearless, daring to attack dragons with ferocity. But this Earth Bear is nothing like the description. The Dragon Legacy cannot be entirely trusted."

Luo Si stared at the Earth Bear, lost in thought.

"But the battle was too brief—I haven’t fully confirmed the strength of my dragon wings."

His eyes narrowed; his dragon pupils gleamed with danger.

The Earth Bear sensed this instantly and buried its head deeper into the soil, like an ostrich, trembling violently—clearly surrendering: kill me if you will, I won’t look, I won’t resist.

Seeing this, Luo Si lost his will to kill.

He had no servants yet; perhaps this Earth Bear could be subdued.

He stepped forward.

Luo Si extended his claw and lightly tapped the Earth Bear’s head.

The creature flinched in fear, then raised its head, meeting Luo Si’s calm, expressionless gaze.

"Submit to me, and I will grant you a chance to live."

Luo Si spoke in slightly clumsy Giant tongue.

"It is my honor."

The Earth Bear nodded vigorously like a chicken pecking grain, accepting without hesitation.

Luo Si’s power had terrified it.

An Earth Bear surviving alone in the wild was no fool; though it could not determine what kind of dragon Luo Si was, its size revealed he was merely a hatchling. Thus, at first, it had acted boldly, showing no fear—until its arm was severed in an instant. One more strike, it thought, and it would be dead.

After brief communication, Luo Si learned the Earth Bear’s name—Mober, a male Earth Bear.

The Earth Bear, having saved its life, picked up its severed arm and pressed it against the wound.

Earth-toned energy swirled around it, temporarily binding the limb back in place.

The Earth Bear’s regeneration was strong; with time, the arm would be usable again.

"Are there any demons in the area as strong as you—or stronger? I haven’t had my fill yet."

Luo Si asked the Earth Bear.

The Earth Bear nodded, extending its claw toward the south.

"In that direction dwells a Crimson Scale Snake. I’ve fought it many times—we’re evenly matched."

As it spoke, the Earth Bear’s eyes gleamed with malice, its expression gleeful.

The Crimson Scale Snake was its mortal enemy; they had clashed repeatedly over territory and resources, and many of the Earth Bear’s old scars bore the snake’s mark.

"Lead the way."

Luo Si rose into the air immediately.

The Earth Bear sprinted forward on the ground, striding swiftly southward; under its guidance, Luo Si soon discovered the Crimson Scale Snake’s nest.

It coiled around a giant fir tree, its body nearly as thick as the trunk, its scales blazing crimson.

Its life rank was also Level 8, equal to the Earth Bear’s.

But unlike the Earth Bear, the Crimson Scale Snake was a ferocious beast with little intelligence.

Locking onto its target, the hatchling tensed every muscle at a hundred meters altitude, spreading its wing blades wide, and screamed downward in a dive toward the Crimson Scale Snake.

Less than a minute later.

As the dragon wings swept past, the massive head of the Crimson Scale Snake flew skyward, blood raining down, splattering onto Luo Si and adding to his fierce aura.

"Even a Level 8 ferocious demon cannot hold against me for long."

Luo Si flicked his wings, shaking off the blood.

Though he had effortlessly surpassed his level in battle, he felt no arrogance. Dragons were apex demons; such feats were natural.

Life rank was merely a reference—it could not truly measure combat power.

Luo Si firmly remembered: arrogance and pride were the greatest sins that killed dragons; he must not lose himself because of temporary strength.

Moreover, he was not truly strong—here in the wild, he had only basic means of self-preservation. To act without restraint, to be utterly unbound—he was still far, far from that.

Not to mention, Iron Dragon Mother could crush him with a few swipes.

And such adult dragons as Iron Dragon Mother were not even the dominant force in the Ser Wilds.

Soon after, Luo Si left the Earth Bear in this region, choosing not to take it with him as he returned to the Sky Pit territory.

The reason was simple.

Given Iron Dragon Mother’s nature, she would never permit an uncontrolled Earth Bear in her territory—she would forcibly enslave it, since Luo Si had not yet used Dragon Pulse Transformation upon it.

Dragon Pulse Transformation—the dragon grants another being its own blood essence, transforming it into a creature innately loyal to the dragon.

Compared to a servant, Luo Si prioritized himself; he was still a hatchling, in a phase of rapid growth. Giving away blood essence would slow his own advancement—he would not burden himself for a single servant.

The Earth Bear had not undergone Dragon Pulse Transformation.

Its verbal submission was unreliable; it could simply flee and ignore Luo Si’s commands.

But.

Survival in the wild was harsh, riddled with peril; even he had to tread carefully. Demons like the Earth Bear, unless driven by desperation, would never leave their familiar territory.

If it truly fled, it didn’t matter.

Subduing a servant was merely incidental to Luo Si; deep down, he cared little—perhaps next time he encountered it, he’d kill it; if he never saw it again, he wouldn’t think of it.

And.

On one side: a perilous wild, a life of constant flight and hardship. On the other: a powerful, immensely promising dragon patron.

With its intelligence, the Earth Bear knew which choice to make.

When he returned to the Sky Pit territory, the sky was still bright, the sun radiating its usual heat.

"Luo Si, Mother wants us to go to her Dragon Nest."

As soon as he landed on the cliff edge, two hatchlings approached him—more accurately, two young dragons now.

After a year had passed, the Red Dragon Sister and Iron Dragon Brother had both grown larger, and had entered the young dragon stage.

"She summoned all three of us at once—this hasn’t happened in a long time. I wonder what news she has."

The Red Dragon Sister blinked her eyes curiously.

"Hehe, maybe Mother prepared some delicious blood meat for us to share!"

The Iron Dragon Brother tilted his head, cheerfully speculating.

Two fools—have you already forgotten what happened to me a year ago?

Luo Si shook his head slightly.

He remained silent and flew toward Iron Dragon Mother’s Dragon Nest; the two young dragons followed close behind, eagerly racing after him.

(End of Chapter)