Chapter 73: The Yueyue Clan, the Charging Copper Dragon

Needleleaf Valley, sulfur pool.

Luo Si dropped chunks of copper ore into it.

This ore was scattered around the Needleleaf Valley, a fire-attributed metal deposit that reacted with intense heat upon contact with the sulfur pool; the bears had previously used copper to amplify the pool’s effect, making it boil hotter and produce more steam.

Hiss-hiss-hiss!

As each chunk of copper ore touched the sulfur pool water, bubbles erupted continuously, hissing loudly, while the temperature rose steadily.

Luo Si did not leap into the sulfur pool to soak.

He raised his dragon wings, coated in serpent-dragon venom blood, and held them horizontally above the pool, exposing the punctured areas to the scalding steam.

The superheated, moisture-laden steam.

It seeped everywhere, drilling into the blood-punctured spots on his wings, sending pain that made Luo Si’s lips twitch slightly.

Ordinary heat meant nothing to him.

Due to the Fire Blessing, his fire resistance, after an initial drop, had steadily risen beyond its previous peak, rendering ordinary fire damage nearly immune.

But superheated steam was a mixed damage type.

Especially when combined with water damage that harmed Luo Si and the pain from serpent venom—its flavor was indescribable; if forced to compare, it was like having dense oral ulcers, then swallowing a mouthful of chili powder and grinding it evenly across every sore with your tongue.

“Even if this fails, it’ll still improve my water resistance a bit.”

The non-combat agony was unbearable; Luo Si’s tail whipped constantly, his wings trembling.

But his eyes burned with determination; he kept his wings extended, enduring the steam’s assault.

“Pain? I am the master of this body.”

“Pain, submit to me!”

“This isn’t pain—it’s exhilarating. I want exactly this feeling.”

Luo Si grinned, tossed another copper ore into the sulfur pool, thickening and intensifying the steam, making him grimace—but he refused to move his wings an inch.

The fairy dragon Long Weila and the red dragon Samantha exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in the other’s eyes.

“Luo Si’s gotten even more deranged.”

“He tortures himself this way now—ordinary pain no longer satisfies him.”

Samantha silently stepped back, away from the steam-filled zone, and said.

“When did this symptom of Luo Si’s start?” the fairy dragon asked curiously: “Could he be developing some kind of dragon psychosis?”

Dragons had highly developed brains, capable of perceiving the world’s essence.

But this also made them prone to psychosis.

Infinite gluttony, extreme magic addiction, wandering away from the nest—all were dragon psychoses. Luo Si’s symptoms were uncommon, but the fairy dragon thought they resembled early signs of “psychosis.”

“I’ve always seen him do this.”

Samantha touched her jaw’s keratin ridge, thoughtful: “This isn’t psychosis—it’s a fetish. My lineage’s records mention some sentient beings crave injury and pain.”

“Luo Si is exactly like that—the more his body hurts, the more he enjoys it.”

The fairy dragon suddenly understood, nodding: “No wonder it’s Luo Si—unlike anyone else, even his fetish is bizarre.”

Luo Si was locked in mental combat with the pain, unaware of the two dragons’ conversation.

Otherwise, he’d have swatted each of them with a dragon claw for their slander!

He still had to visit New Moon Valley in three days; if the Yueyue Clan’s wolf-people refused, battle would follow. This time, Luo Si had only tested the waters and soon stopped.

Time passed quickly.

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.

Luo Si had mostly recovered, so he took to the air and flew toward New Moon Valley.

For caution, two days prior, he ordered Mo Bei to lead most of the bears toward New Moon Valley; he didn’t need them to attack, only to station themselves at intervals on the perimeter, hidden.

Thus,

if communication with the Yueyue Clan turned sour,

with the bears’ coordinated encirclement, the chance of annihilating the wolf tribe—leaving not a single member alive—would be far higher.

Meanwhile, in New Moon Valley, the Yueyue Clan.

The elder shaman, the chieftain, and a group of adult gray-maned wolf-people waited within the clan’s territory for the dragon’s arrival; some wolf-people bore fresh wounds, the number of great wolves had increased, while the wolf-people population had correspondingly decreased.

Over these ten days,

the Yueyue Clan had not been peaceful.

The elder shaman and the chieftain—the two highest leaders—both favored submission and allegiance to the dragon.

Standing at the top, bearing the greatest pressure, they knew how brutally hard survival in the wild was; after poring through ancient texts on dragon lore, they realized Luo Si was likely just a juvenile, yet had slain the serpent they considered their greatest enemy—this was no ordinary dragon.

Following a juvenile with extraordinary potential

was a wise choice for a wild clan.

Moreover, due to Luo Si’s final kind words, they felt he was not a cruel, bloodthirsty evil dragon.

But the clan’s voices were not unified; some wolf-people, haunted by the shadow of the cliff serpent, adamantly refused to invite the dragon in.

Quickly, differing voices became opposing factions.

Peaceful deliberation grew heated.

Gray-maned wolf-people revered strength; since no consensus could be reached, they fought—whoever had the strongest fists decided the outcome.

Thus,

to determine the clan’s future direction,

at this critical juncture, wolf-people with shared goals but differing views began duels, ending in victory for the shaman and chieftain’s faction.

Those who fought and lost,

according to Yueyue Clan tradition, willingly shed their wisdom, becoming great wolves—abandoning intellect, relying instead on primal instinct and thought, continuing to defend the clan under other wolf-people’s leadership.

Hoo!

As a piercing shriek drew nearer,

to display his power, Luo Si descended again like a crimson meteor, landing on the Yueyue Clan’s territory.

His gaze swept over the wolf-people, finally settling on the elder shaman.

Luo Si smiled slightly and said: “Have you decided? Will you follow beneath my wings toward a brighter path, or reject my offer and continue struggling in the wild?”

The elder shaman was the first to bow her head, kneeling before Luo Si.

“Noble and mighty dragon, to serve you is the Yueyue Clan’s honor.”

“From this day forward, the Yueyue Clan shall become your vassal, offering loyalty; wherever you tread, the Yueyue wolves shall follow.”

As if a switch had been flipped,

the wolf-people knelt one after another before Luo Si.

Thus, Luo Si gained his first sentient vassal.

The process unfolded smoothly, as if destined.

Immediately, Luo Si noticed the shift in numbers between great wolves and wolf-people in the Yueyue Clan.

“What’s the story behind these new great wolves?”

He asked the elder shaman.

The elder shaman’s gaze was complex as she slowly replied: “They were warriors who opposed us; now they’ve shed wisdom, become beasts, and defend the clan in another way.”

Then she recounted the full details to Luo Si.

This stirred reflection in him.

He had merely offered a choice, indifferent to the Yueyue Clan’s reaction, waiting only for the final outcome.

Yet the Yueyue Clan, to make that choice,

had endured internal strife within just ten days.

This further made Luo Si realize:

In this world of survival of the fittest, strength mattered immensely.

A strong one’s thought, a passing whim, could decide a weak one’s fate—granting rebirth or casting them into the abyss.

Meanwhile,

in the northern Wilds, between the Wilds and the Eternal Tundra, Red Maple Ridge.

The copper dragon soared into the sky.

“You evil-blooded hybrid dragon! I will find you, defeat you, capture you, train you, and turn you into a good dragon!”

Armed with new gear and hardened by half a year of brutal training, the copper dragon flew skyward, brimming with determination.

(End of Chapter)