Chapter 181: Dragon Descendant Clan

Pa pa pa!

Tuosiedelin clapped his hands and said, "Lord, you're a hidden talent; I misjudged you." Half of his tone was astonishment, the other half was frustration.

He now finally understands why the Silver Star Duke conferred the title of Earl of Glamorgan on Lei En.

As an elf ranger who has lived nearly two hundred years, Tuosiedelin is widely experienced, yet has never seen a non‑legendary human transcendent with such powerful physical attributes.

In strength he crushes Xikalius head‑on, and his defense is even more obvious; Tuosiedelin recognized it as a steel body.

Even the speed that elf rangers excel at, Lei En is not much slower.

Lei En's close‑quarters combat has almost no weakness.

A few years ago, to get Xikalius into the arena as a gladiator, Tuosiedelin also took on a "Markogora" challenge with Xikalius.

Back then Xikalius was not this strong; he relied on a legendary ranger's speed, grinding for fifteen minutes before finally defeating Xikalius.

But Lei En brutally smashed Xikalius, finishing him off in a few minutes, the superiority was clear.

Tuosiedelin also did not forget that Lei En is a Wizard!

Moreover, with that Legend Grade soul‑gun, he suddenly felt a bit insecure, fearing he was no match for Lei En.

"What a terrifying young man!"

Tuosiedelin instantly let it go, no longer stewing over Lei En undermining his foundations.

Such a limitless talent will inevitably ascend to the Empire's pinnacle of power; three mere Makurag gladiators are nothing at all.

If he could befriend Lei En, not just three—he'd even give all the arena's gladiators to Lei En, and Lei En would still accept.

Tuosiedelin's brows relaxed, and he smiled, "I'll have someone send over their contracts right now."

"Alright."

Lei En slipped on two magical rings, adjusted his waist, and hung the Song of Azure Sky and the Runic Book in place.

At that moment Fabian leaned in and whispered, "Sir, the contract the gladiators sign with the arena can be bought out; the usual contract specifies the buyout price."

"Understood." Lei En nodded, thinking he'd have to bleed cash.

As the champion gladiator of the Great Hammer Arena, Xikalius brings Tuosiedelin massive yearly revenue, so the contract's buyout price can't be low.

It could be tens of thousands of Gold Shields.

However, to subdue the Makurag, the money can't be saved; consider it an investment for the future.

Soon, three contracts arrived in Tuosiedelin's hands.

He opened them, glanced a few times, then with a sudden "sizzle—" ripped the contracts into shreds.

The move was unexpected; Lei En was very surprised, and before he could ask, Tuosiedelin said, "The contracts of the three with the arena have been terminated."

Lei En instantly guessed Tuosiedelin's intention, helplessly thinking he'd rather pay than owe a favor.

But the contracts were torn; if he insisted on compensating the buyout, it would only make Tuosiedelin look bad.

Lei En had no choice but to accept, "Thank you for the Prince's generosity."

"Just a small token, consider it an early congratulatory gift for the Lord's reclamation of his lands."

Lei En seethed inwardly; this elf was too good at playing people.

He didn't linger; he sent the three Xikalius to pack their luggage, then headed to the castle to report, leading the Dragon Stone Mercenary Corps away from the arena.

Night had fallen, yet the streets outside the arena remained bustling and crowded.

In the parking lot, Aimisisi's voice came from beneath her hood, "Sir, I'll have Astan accompany you back to the Azure Water High Castle. I'll return to the mercenary corps' base; give me three hours to muster all personnel to the castle."

Lei En glanced at the white‑haired legendary swordsman and politely declined her offer.

"No need, Lord Astan will still go with you; I'll wait for you at the castle."

Aimisisi did not persist; having witnessed Lei En's strength, she knew he wouldn't be easily assassinated, so she took her own men and bid Lei En farewell.

He rode back to the Azure Water High Castle, had dinner, and entered his study.

Fabian stayed by his side; Lei En waved, "You go rest; I'd like to sit alone for a while."

"Yes, sir." The Wind Elf, understanding, stepped down.

After sitting quietly for a moment, Aoxiliya's figure appeared, sitting opposite the desk, and said softly, "That Aimisisi's background is significant; her subordinates aren't mere mercenaries, they merely use the mercenary guise. They're likely from Kangjiatuo and may have other motives; you should be careful."

"Kangjiatuo…"

Lei En glanced at the Great Dragon Mage and suddenly understood.

Kangjiatuo is a large island at the northeast corner of the Yoreth Continent, covering about a quarter of the Empire's area, and can be called a sub‑continent.

The peninsula's overall shape is elongated, like a dagger jutting from the continent southward into Wu Jin Zhi Hai.

The island's climate is bitterly cold; only summer is slightly warm, the rest of the year is mostly snow‑covered.

Kangjiatuo's north connects to the continent; a few hundred miles further north is the easternmost tip of the Yoreth Continent, facing the New Continent across the sea.

Ships from the Empire to the New Continent often stop at Kangjiatuo's ports, so Kangjiatuo people are not uncommon in the Empire, and trade between them is frequent.

Because of the harsh climate, it's unsuitable for habitation; Kangjiatuo's population is modest, just over thirty million.

The massive peninsula is ruled by seven families, divided into seven kingdoms, and they elevate the head of the strongest family to the throne.

Their secret to rule lies in borrowing the ancient orc bloodline cultivation method, integrating magical beast bloodlines into their bodies, passing down through generations, each forming a unique transcendent profession system.

Each family bears a magical beast as its crest.

Today, Kangjiatuo is ruled by the Giant Deer Clan; its transcendent members are mostly Giant Deer Warriors infused with Green‑horned Deer bloodline. They are massive, possess brute strength, and the clan's blood grants extraordinary regenerative ability; after ascending to legend they claim an Undying Body.

However, Kangjiatuo's most renowned transcendent profession is not the Giant Deer Warrior.

It is the Zhuogengbao Clan, whose members possess true dragon bloodline.

The Zhuogengbao Clan calls itself true dragon descendants, also known as the Dragon Descendant Clan or Dragon Knight Clan, worshipping the Dragon God Bahamut; their transcendent profession is the Dragon Descendant Apostle!

For over two thousand years, the Dragon Descendant Clan held the Kangjiatuo throne, but successive tyrants caused suffering, the monarchy wavered, and a continent‑wide war erupted; a century ago, other families jointly ousted them from the throne and divided their lands.

Lei En had previously read about Kangjiatuo; Aoxiliya's reminder instantly brought it back to mind.

"Madam, is Aimisisi a descendant of the Zhuogengbao Clan?" he asked.

Ao Xiliya's eyes widened in surprise, and she felt a bit of admiration.

The Lord's breadth of knowledge and insight were truly unexpected; with just an offhand remark, he guessed the truth.

She gave a slight nod and sighed, "Count, your keen eye saw it at once."

I even discerned that you are an iridescent dragon…

Lei En chuckled inwardly, but said aloud, "So Ai Mi Li Si is a dragon-born apostle, not a dragon vein sorcerer!"

At first glance the two seem very similar, but they actually have a fundamental difference.

A dragon-born apostle does not need to fuse with a demon soul; their spellcasting awakens from their bloodline, they excel in melee, have a close bond with true dragons, and can more readily forge a soul pact with a great dragon to become a dragon knight.

A dragon vein sorcerer is a transcendent in the usual sense, must gather dragon-born demon souls, possesses stronger spellcasting, and is the mortal enemy of great dragons.

Lei En couldn't help but look at Ao Xiliya across from him; no wonder she showed no hostility toward Ai Mi Li Si.

Ai Mi Li Si could be considered half of her own lineage.

Lei En was somewhat worried; Ai Mi Li Si's background is extraordinary—she is a legendary dragon-born apostle, commands a large host, and would never merely want to be a mercenary.

It was evident that this woman sought to reclaim Kangjiatuo's throne.

Did she intend to use my connections to climb to the Duke of Silver Star and help restore her kingdom?' Lei En wondered inwardly. 'If that is the case, Ai Mi Li Si's plans are doomed to fail.'

Kangjiatuo lies ten thousand li from the Empire; even a Holy Soul Wizard would find it hard to intervene in such a distant realm.

But on the other hand, Kangjiatuo's conflict could not affect his own domain.

Lei En felt he was overthinking; perhaps Ai Mi Li Si truly only wants to make money to sustain her army.

He stopped worrying about the Dragonstone Mercenary Corps and turned to Ao Xiliya to discuss magical theory: "Madam, may I ask you a question."

"How should the Rainbow Beam spell have its casting time shortened?"

The great dragon mage was a student of Master Anxi, himself a legendary mage with profoundly deep magical knowledge, especially adept in Arcane; passing up the chance to consult her would truly be a waste.

Ao Xiliya hesitated briefly.

She knew Lei En would later become a student of the teacher, so she did not refuse and replied, "You should start with its rune structure, splitting it into seventeen smaller runes…"

Their conversation deepened, and time slipped by unnoticed.

After a little over an hour, Ao Xiliya suddenly stopped speaking, and her figure vanished.

Immediately, a knock sounded at the door.

Lei En was engrossed when it was interrupted, feeling a bit unsatisfied, but he knew Fabian was outside with business for him, so he did not rebuke and called him in.

"Lord," Fabian bowed and said, "Lord Xi Kaluosi has arrived."

"Let him in," Lei En nodded.

The towering figure of Xi Kaluosi entered the study; his wounds were no longer visible, his attire immaculate, his demeanor solemn, his gaze calm. He knelt on one knee in the center of the room and bowed, "I pay my respects, Lord."

Lei En saw his posture and immediately realized the other had made a decision.

He was overjoyed, pretended ignorance, and with a gentle smile said, "Xi Kaluosi, I only want you to serve me, not to pledge loyalty; there's no need for that."

"I am willing to be loyal to you, Lord," Xi Kaluosi raised his head and said solemnly.

(End of Chapter)