Chapter 369: The Ruined Soup.
The surging lightning swallowed the Crimson Lotus Burst Scale Dragon whole and caused the Extinction Dragon to tense her body, rapidly retreating with a mixture of shock and anger as she glared over here.
The Burst Scale Dragon was completely immobilized. Jié Jié raised his hand unconsciously clenched into a fist, pulling up a section of the Burst Hammer Dragon’s spine, his arm bloodied.
Unable to control himself, he clutched his arm; the muscles were so tight that his bones and joints locked, unable to release or bend his arm. He had no choice but to support it with his other hand until he recovered, though in doing so, the segment of Burst Hammer Dragon’s spine slipped from his grip.
Throughout this, the Flame Empress Dragon and the Extinction Dragon remained frozen, clearly stunned by the towering lightning.
Jié Jié looked at the Extinction Dragon. Their gazes met, and the Flame Empress’ body went limp, slightly retreating.
Clearly, she recognized him.
He casually threw the piece of spine toward the Extinction Dragon, who dodged like someone startled, then turned and fled toward the cave’s upper exit, disappearing from their line of sight.
Seeing the Extinction Dragon escape, Nana immediately chased after her, but alas, the opponent was too fast, forcing her to return to the cave entrance and circle around while eyeing the Golden Lion.
“She’s come to the Dragon Crystal Land too.”
Jié Jié shrugged, swelling and transforming into the Flame King Dragon. Only then did Nana approach and rub against him.
The Flame Empress Dragon bore many scars now, her mane stained with blood—some hers, some the Extinction Dragon’s.
Observing the fire dragons, it seemed they would need to stay a little longer to recover.
After comforting the defeated Nana for a while, Jié Jié transformed into the Queen Mantis and began tending to everyone’s wounds. He dragged over the massive Crimson Lotus Burst Scale Dragon to provide nourishment.
He also examined the meat of the Crimson Lotus Burst Scale Dragon—it was full of explosive glands that would detonate if placed in a pot, so he abandoned the idea of roasting it.
The Crimson Lotus Burst Scale Dragon’s nutrients were extremely rich. Some shallow scabs on Iron Pot’s body fell off, revealing new shell growths underneath.
“Ah, there’s still the Slaying Dragon.”
Jié Jié walked towards the battlefield where the Slaying Dragon and the Sui Long fought, only to bump into the returning Sui Long.
Upon inspection, perhaps due to accumulated injuries from previous battles, the Sui Long’s shell bore a long slash mark, with slime mold hyphae infiltrating its cracks.
“Hmph!!”
Noticing Jié Jié examining him, the Sui Long proudly lifted his head, showcasing his battle scars with unyielding spirit.
“Hmm, not bad work.”
Jié Jié nodded approvingly, not rushing to claim the Slaying Dragon as reserve food, leading the Sui Long back to their current campsite.
Everyone was exhausted, especially Iron Pot, who had finished eating and lay down to sleep.
Porcelain Bowl and Basin were similarly resting, while Nana opened her eyes briefly, flicked her tail against the ground, and invited him closer.
After a bit of affectionate rubbing with Nana, Jié Jié chose to transform into the Spiny Dragon, indulging in a deep slumber that nothing could disturb.
The fleeing Extinction Dragon returned through a crack above, quietly peeking out, her line of sight passing through the Dragon Crystal pillar to find the perfect ambush position—a spot even the Flame Empress Dragon hadn’t noticed.
In the past, the Extinction Dragon wouldn’t hesitate to attack, taking out one or two before retreating if things got tough.
But now, she wanted to observe and learn something.
Through her prior experiences of unconsciousness, she’d realized her weakness to lightning and would retreat upon encountering the Golden Lion. She wanted to learn more.
She stayed motionless for hours, her entire body itching as the spines regrew, until she saw the Flame Empress Dragon leave with a round object, prompting her to withdraw her head and rub against the rock wall to remove the spines hindering her movement.
Porcelain Bowl heard the scraping sounds from above, looked up but saw nothing. Checking her siblings and father, none reacted, so she lowered her head again, her eyes wandering idly.
Her wandering gaze froze when she saw the Flame Empress Dragon return carrying a pot filled with water, her eyes showing a hint of anticipation as her mouth grew dry.
The Extinction Dragon above also saw the pot of water. The Flame Empress Dragon was adding pieces of Burst Scale Dragon meat to it, covering it and blowing flames.
What was she doing?
She quietly watched as the flames licked the large pot, the lid making bubbling noises, until—
“Bang!”
An unexpected explosion shattered the tranquil atmosphere, sending the pot lid flying high into the sky, startling the Extinction Dragon into hiding once more, leaving behind a series of sounds.
Nana lifted her head, narrowing her eyes, but the commotion from the pot drowned out the Extinction Dragon’s movements. The spinning lid falling from the air captured her attention more.
Picking up the lid and putting it away, Jié Jié had often reprimanded her for carelessly throwing things around.
Sniffing closer to the soup, there was no trace of meat aroma, only a pungent smell entering his nostrils, with the liquid inside still bubbling.
Nana mumbled, then grabbed the seasoning bottle and shook some seasoning in, but it did nothing to improve the sharp odor. After hesitating for a moment, she took a sip.
The spicy, stimulating taste made her sharply wrinkle her nose, baring her fangs.
“Aaaoo!”
Porcelain Bowl anxiously moved closer, expectantly looking at Nana.
“Hmph~”
Nana hummed and stepped back, observing Porcelain Bowl’s reaction, starting to enjoy the praise from diners.
“Huh?”
Confused, Porcelain Bowl lifted her head from the pot, slightly retreating, and stared at Nana, both unsure what to make of the situation.
This pot of soup seemed somehow off.
But expecting them to abandon the soup greedily was unrealistic, so they could only stare at the pot with wide eyes.
Nana approached Jié Jié, pushing against the side of the Spiny Dragon’s face.
The Spiny Dragon showed no reaction.
She carefully avoided the toxic spines, gathered her claws, and slapped the Spiny Dragon’s face with all her strength.
The Spiny Dragon slightly moved his head but remained asleep.
Nana lay down, letting her fiery aura keep the soup warm, patiently waiting for two hours. During this time, Iron Pot and Basin woke up, sniffed the soup, took a sip, and didn’t drink any more.
The Sui Long ate plenty of meat but showed no interest in the soup.
Angered, Nana tasted it again, dumping the entire jar of seasoning in, yet the sharp, pungent smell remained unchanged.
As Jié Jié stirred in his sleep, just about to drift back into deeper slumber, Nana seized the opportunity and slapped him.
Jié Jié jumped up on the spot, staring around with wide eyes, quickly shaking off his daze, and saw Nana presenting the pot before him.
“Waking up to soup is quite thoughtful of you, Nana.”
Jié Jié hadn’t yet realized the sharp, pungent flavor, taking a sip and immediately spitting it out.
Looking closely, much of the water in the pot had evaporated, revealing the Burst Scale Dragon’s explosive gland connective tissues, and… sulfur crystals.
The human-like expression on the Spiny Dragon’s face was utterly bizarre.
“Where did you get the water???”
Chapter 370
