Chapter 691: Dragon's Greed

A Saint Rank Demonic Hunter was born!

The teammates were overjoyed, each sending congratulations to the Dark Elf, their hearts full of envy, and they all simultaneously wondered when they themselves could ascend to Saint Rank.

Yizite descended, his body returning to normal size, and the wings on his back vanished.

He looked at Reslin, his face sincere as he said, "Thank you! I thought my preparations were sufficient, but it turned out I was still lacking in some ways. If it weren't for you, Reslin, I might have lost control today."

Everything Reslin did, Yizite was fully aware of during his advancement.

"No need for polite words, just succeed in your breakthrough," Reslin smiled modestly, knowing he had earned the deep friendship of a Saint Rank strongman.

Yizite gave a slight nod, everything unspoken.

Then he bowed to the Jade Dragon and said, "Greetings, Lady Mei Landan Na."

The Radiant Queen sized up the Dark Elf, praising, "Congratulations, young Zhuo Er. Albert Bay hasn't seen a new Saint Rank in many years; this is truly worth celebrating. If you wish, I can prepare a feast to announce the good news to Albert Bay's residents."

"Thank you for your kindness, Lady, but no celebration is needed," Yizite declined decisively.

He knew that the city lord He Sai was trying to win him over, but he remained low-key, and the Dark Elf's identity should not be publicly revealed on the surface.

"Very well then," the Radiant Queen said with a hint of regret.

Yizite had lived in He Sai's seclusion for many years and held an excellent impression of the lord, so he didn't close the conversation, smiling, "If the chance arises, I will certainly visit you, Lady."

"You are always welcome."

The Jade Dragon nodded modestly, smiling, "He Sai's gates are always open to kind friends."

At that moment, Reslin stepped forward and extended his hand.

Yizite's advancement ceremony had concluded, and the Abyss power's aura was fully absorbed into his body, no longer needing to maintain a magical field.

Mei Landan Na naturally understood Reslin's meaning, her smile instantly subdued, feeling deeply reluctant. Having held the staff for so long, she knew the silver plating on its surface was merely a disguise, the crystal at the tip served little purpose, and inside it was actually a very rare Legend Grade staff!

The Jade Dragon had lived for over two thousand years, ruling He Sai City and amassing vast wealth.

Among her treasures was also a Legend Grade magical item, but it was a two-handed sword, unsuitable for her, its power far inferior to this staff.

Mei Landan Na, well‑versed and knowledgeable, quickly guessed the staff's origin.

This is the "Magic Storm, Endless Caster," commonly called "Endless Storm," one of the world's most powerful Legend Grade staffs!

When she recognized the Endless Storm, her spirit surged, and she almost couldn't maintain the magical field.

Dragons are naturally greedy, even benevolent ones are no exception; having to relinquish a treasure they have in hand makes the Jade Dragon feel as if blood is dripping inside.

Mei Landan Na watched Lei En reach out, and by convention she should have handed over the staff.

But she did not.

When Reslin grasped the staff to put it away, he found the other party wouldn't let go, and he couldn't directly store it into the Nebula Ring, so he looked at the Jade Dragon, his eyes flickering, and asked calmly, "Lady, could you return the staff to me?"

Mei Landan Na acted as if she hadn't heard.

She stared at Reslin, then at the staff, her thoughts unreadable, yet her fair palm remained tightly clenched.

The nearby Yizite and others immediately sensed something amiss and heightened their vigilance.

They knew Reslin's staff was extraordinary, and recalling the dragon's nature, they all muttered internally, "This is bad," yet dared not make a sound.

Both sides stalled for a few seconds, the scene becoming somewhat awkward.

"Is this the Endless Storm?" Mei Landan Na asked softly.

"Yes."

Reslin replied briefly, feeling a tinge of regret.

Earlier the situation was urgent; once a spell was cast while maintaining the magical field, even an instant cast would break the field, causing Abyss energy to leak. Forced to act, he could only let the most suitable Mei Landan Na take over, without overthinking.

If the Jade Dragon persisted in seizing his Endless Storm, it would be troublesome.

Fortunately, Mei Landan Na could run away from a monk but not from a temple; unless she were to abandon He Sai City for a Legend Grade staff, even in the worst case she could ask a master to retrieve it.

"Who are you?"

Mei Landan Na seemed hesitant, staring at Reslin, trying to see through the mysterious wizard's background, but she sensed a danger comparable to that of a Holy Soul wizard.

This unsettled her, and she softened her tone, explaining, "I mean no other intent, I'm just curious—where did you obtain it?"

"Obtained by accident," Reslin replied vaguely, simultaneously flashing the Weizelan Badge.

The Jade Dragon's emerald eyes fell on the badge, surprised, "Weizelan? That guy Bu Lusi never said you were a wizard from Weizelan. Are you a student of Anxiwodasi?"

Reslin nodded.

Mei Landan Na's expression wavered, then with a sigh she reluctantly released her grip, and the staff was instantly reclaimed by Reslin, vanishing.

She looked at Reslin's Nebula Ring, and her eyes lit up slightly.

That black‑iron, dimension‑space ring was also an extremely precious treasure; she had misjudged it earlier and only now realized.

The Jade Dragon, as if admiring a rare treasure, kept appraising Reslin, unabashedly showing interest, and warmly said, "Lord Reslin, when might you be free? I would like to invite you to my castle as a guest to exchange casting insights."

Reslin could only laugh and cry; the dragon had taken a liking to his equipment.

But he didn't outright refuse.

"We will soon leave Albert Bay and may not return for some time," he said calmly, "When I return, I will visit you with Yizite, Lady."

"Then it's settled."

Mei Landan Na seemed delighted, pulling out a verdant green leaf and handing it to Reslin, "This is my token; within Albert Bay you can contact me at any time. Show it to the transcendent wielders of the Jade Staff, and they will bring you to see me."

Reslin examined the leaf and found its material was not plant but a dragon scale.

The hardened dragon scale had been forged into a magical talisman, engraved with a vine‑wrapped staff, the emblem of the Jade Staff.

As expected, the dragon scale was shed from her own body.

"Thank you, Lady."

Reslin thought it might be useful later, and carefully kept the token.

"I will not disturb you any further, farewell," Mei Landan Na lifted her chin, transformed into a barely visible teal glow that rose and vanished in an instant at the horizon.

Only after the Jade Dragon completely disappeared did the teammates finally exhale in relief.

"I almost thought they were about to start fighting," Beilake put down his hands that held the gun at his waist and asked curiously, "Reslin, what is that staff of yours, that even an ancient dragon was tempted by?"

Dao En Suosi and Yizite also took notice.

Reslin laughed, "She just said earlier, that's the Endless Storm."

"Endless Storm?" Dao En Suosi scratched his bald head, racking his brain, "I think I've heard that name before."

"It's a Legend Grade staff," Asina explained in a sentence.

Since the Jade Dragon appeared, she has kept silent from start to finish to avoid conflict with the dragon, and now finally has a chance to speak.

"Legend Grade staff!"

The three were stunned, then suddenly understood why the Jade Dragon's behavior was so poor, as if it would disregard its reputation to snatch the staff.

And then they were full of envy.

They had never seen a Legend Grade magical item in their whole lives, let alone possessed one.

Most legendary transcendants wield exquisite weapons and gear; even Epic Grade items are rare, and they have already done quite well, possessing one or two Epic items, never daring to hope for a Legend Grade magical item.

Dao En Suosi suddenly laughed, "Reslin, could the Dazzling Queen have taken a liking to you? From her look, she seems ready to devour you."

"What she likes is the Endless Storm," Reslin said irritably.

Beilake gave him a sly wink, his face showing a "you know what I mean" expression, "Hehe… Lady Melandanna is the most outstanding beauty of Albert Bay; if she wants your Endless Storm, don't you have any thoughts, perhaps become a Dragon Rider instead?"

He finished speaking and immediately sensed something odd, turned and met Asina's dangerous gaze.

Game over!

The Holy Spear Ranger only then realized that Reslin is Lei En, and he had actually, in front of Asina, encouraged Reslin to make a move on another woman…

"Ahem! Asina, I was just joking, don't take it seriously," Beilake forced a laugh, trying to save himself. He had seen this woman's power; when she gets angry she's terrifying, and he couldn't even take a punch from her.

Unexpectedly, Asina did not get angry; instead she said softly, "Hmph! He is already a Dragon Rider."

"Ah?"

"Uh…" Beilake was instantly stunned.

Yizite and Dao En Suosi, who were watching the spectacle, were also dumbfounded; the three turned to look at Reslin, finding his expression not as indifferent as usual, a bit odd and somewhat embarrassed.

Dao En Suosi had heard that Count Gramoog has a golden three‑headed dragon mount, but judging from Asina's behavior, there must be another hidden story, definitely involving romance.

A fierce fire of gossip ignited in their hearts.

Just as they were about to fan the flames with a couple of questions, Reslin touched his chin, looked at the burnt house, and said, "We should get down to business. Yizite, you've already advanced to Saint Rank, you should be able to take us to the Dark Realm, right?"

"Of course, no problem."

The Dark Elf, knowing Reslin was changing the subject, still replied, "There are many entrances to the Dark Realm, said to be hundreds, most concentrated on the East Coast of the New Continent, which was the elven territory in the previous epoch."

"So we should head to the East Coast?" Reslin asked.

"Exactly." Yizite nodded, "I know of a dozen entrances all on the East Coast, but only three lead to the Spirit‑absorbing Monster city; the routes differ, each with pros and cons, so we should discuss which path to take."

The Dark Elf opened a map of the New Continent on the stone table in the courtyard.

The New Continent's terrain runs northwest to southeast; the north is perennially covered by ice and snow, extremely cold, occupying nearly half the continent, sparsely populated, and is the domain of the Disaster Army and the Knot Seal; the south is split by the Rockchis Mountains into two halves, the western coast makes up a third, the rest is the eastern plain that leads directly to the East Coast, the most fertile land on the New Continent with the best climate.

"The three entrances to the Dark Realm are here, here, and here…" Yizite's hand fell on the map, marking three spots.

Two are along the East Coast, one inland.

One is on the northern part of the East Coast, roughly the northeast corner of the New Continent, near the boundary between the Eastern Plain and the northern ice field, only a few hundred li away.

Reslin, near this entrance, saw a familiar place.

Shield Island!

Back then, Mo Du nobles and Weizelan Wizards built a floating city on the New Continent, choosing the site of Shield Island.

The island is called "Hamp Shield Island"; its shape is long and narrow, wide at one end and pointed at the other, like a hawk's shield, hence the name. The pointed end extends into the sea, the wide end borders the New Continent, with many rivers flowing into the sea here, forming a vast fertile land.

In the Third Epoch, when the elves ruled the East Coast of the New Continent, the Shield Island region was the Elf Empire's most developed economic center, having built many splendid cities.

Of course, now those elven cities have all been destroyed or sunk underground.

Mo Du nobles and Weizelan Wizards chose Shield Island for the floating city precisely because of its fertile land, to expand territory and establish a kingdom.

The teammates had no particular thoughts about Shield Island, all discussing the route after entering the Dark Realm.

Reslin, however, was two‑minded.

He chatted with everyone while staring at Shield Island on the map, his mind becoming active.

Those who originally valued Shield Island must have done much scouting and selection. Now it's his turn to develop the New Continent; perhaps he can also take a look there? Most importantly, Naksa's floating city, seized by the Disaster Army, has been silent for years, leaving Weizelan without a target for revenge.

Naksa was built on Shield Island; maybe there are clues there.

"We'll enter the Dark Realm from here," Reslin suddenly pointed to the entrance near Shield Island, telling his teammates.

Beilake was very puzzled.

"Why choose this entrance?" he asked, puzzled, "This route is the farthest from Yilaientu, most places aren't very dangerous, but it must pass two Dark Elf cities, not the best choice."

The others were also a bit unclear.

The Dark Realm's environment is complex; you can't teleport arbitrarily, so you must walk, making route choice crucial.

Passing through two Dark Elf cities, you may encounter trouble.

Dark Elves aren't ordinary intelligent races; they have powerful Dwarven knights, legendary mages, even Grand Mages; provoking them is quite tricky.

Reslin didn't hide his purpose, explaining, "Because I need to go to Shield Island."

(End of chapter)