Chapter 85: They Flew Away.
“Did you let him go?”
A roaring cry, carrying with it immense wind pressure, surged toward the Cāng Huǒ Lóng.
A colossal Fire Dragon, larger than any previously recorded, dove down onto its back.
The Cāng Huǒ Lóng raised its head, only to find the sun and sky obscured by the fierce gaze of the Male Fire Dragon above.
“Ao Ao Er～”
The Azure King was pinned to the ground. Jié Jié leapt from its back, smashing down with all his might.
He bit into the uneven shell of the Cāng Huǒ Lóng, his neck arching in a powerful curve.
Under brute force, the shell shattered, fragments flying through the air, splashing crimson blood.
“Truly tough.”
Jié Jié growled lowly but resisted the urge to transform into a Black Wolf Bird for easier access.
He had to properly play the part of a Fire Dragon, relying on ample physical activity to digest the energy he had absorbed.
Like peeling an egg, the hardest part was always breaking the first piece.
The shell’s fracture extended to the neck, where the Male Fire Dragon, as seen in legends, clamped down on the Cāng Huǒ Lóng’s neck.
“Crack, crack, crack.”
“Ao! Roar, Ao!”
The broken shell and the Cāng Huǒ Lóng’s groans composed a bloody symphony.
As the cracking ceased and the flow of essence reached its peak, the Cāng Huǒ Lóng’s cries came to an end.
Jié Jié tore into the Cāng Huǒ Lóng’s flesh, surprised to taste once again the flavor of a seasoned Male Fire Dragon.
But the surprise quickly faded; it must have been absorbed during prolonged activities in the Dragon Crystal Land but not yet digested.
“The Dragon Crystal Land.”
Jié Jié fed off the Cāng Huǒ Lóng, finding numerous fine scars across its body while eating.
At the base of the wings near the shoulder plates, he even noticed marks resembling slashes.
Perhaps seeking mates wasn’t the only reason it didn’t want to stay in that place where Ancient Dragons roamed and seasoned warriors were as common as dogs?
After gorging himself on the meat beneath the shell, Jié Jié dismantled the remaining parts, including the two dragon legs and the dragon jewel, bringing them back to the crown of the Ancient Tree to serve as food for the Fire Dragons.
The red jewel of the Fire Dragon was now due to be consumed by Mù Piáo, the third among the Fire Dragons.
Upon swallowing the jewel, Mù Piáo visibly exhaled heat, startling him enough to shake and eject the dragon jewel.
Clearly, the Fire Dragon’s red jewel was too potent for Mù Piáo, at least at this stage.
When Jié Jié released him, intending to store the dragon jewel safely, Mù Piáo darted forward and swallowed it again.
After watching him for a moment, Jié Jié swept his wing over the ground, sprinkling some water on him to ensure there were no issues, then left him be.
The Fire Dragons feasted on the Cāng Huǒ Lóng’s meat but struggled with the two legs encased in shell.
Jié Jié peeled the legs open for them, then gazed downward from the crown of the Ancient Tree, like a watchful stone statue.
In truth, he was observing the peculiar happenings within the Ancient Tree Forest.
For instance, after being chased away by Jié Jié, the Savage Jaw Dragon wandered into the territory of the Thunder Wolf Dragons, only to be driven out again by two of them working together.
He could count how many Herbivore Dragons were preyed upon, how many times the Thief Dragon groups gathered and dispersed, and how many Large Monsters entered and exited his line of sight.
He felt as if he had become a caged reptile, motionless all day without any form of entertainment.
Yet, in reality, watching the scenes below was not much different from staring at screens big and small in his previous life.
As dusk fell, the Male Fire Dragon spread his wings, amidst the wind pressure, his red shell began transforming into a deep azure starting from his head.
Apart from the change in color, his expanded wings grew stronger at their roots.
This made his movements on the ground somewhat clumsy but added more power when swung.
The Fire Dragons had to lower themselves to avoid being blown away.
The azure hue faded, the shell flipped up, yet the changes brought by the Cāng Huǒ Lóng form persisted.
The digestion of life energy proceeded undisturbed.
Night descended, and the cool autumn breeze blew freely.
The Male Fire Dragon spread his wings, sheltering the young dragons from the cold until dawn broke again.
“Roar!”
Jié Jié lifted his head and let out a high-pitched roar, the wind pressure flattening the young dragons.
Parallel to the tree canopy, he soared through the air, inviting the young Fire Dragons to join him.
“Roar!”
The Fire Dragons responded, understanding since they returned to this Ancient Tree.
They charged towards the edge of the tree canopy.
They jumped.
They flapped their wings.
They flew.
They were gone.
It went so smoothly, as if they belonged to the skies all along, leaving Jié Jié somewhat bewildered.
He hovered in place, flapping his wings, watching the Fire Dragons descend into the forest and vanish within.
He knew these little ones had been practicing, but he hadn’t expected it to go so smoothly.
He had prepared to catch them mid-fall in his palm.
But it wasn’t necessary.
Still, had they just flown away like that?
Jié Jié felt foolish, taking a while to realize that flying downhill was easy.
But flying uphill would be far too difficult for them.
He also swooped down into the forest, calling out.
The Fire Dragons did not respond as usual, merely looking up at him.
Their half-year bond allowed Jié Jié to understand.
The children had grown, their wings hardened, and it was time for a beating…
After the young Fire Dragons learned to fly, they should be driven out by the older dragons to start independent lives.
Should he follow tradition and fire a fireball at them?
The Fire Dragons sensed the impending danger, glancing at him uneasily.
“Ah.”
Jié Jié sighed softly.
In truth, he only wanted the Fire Dragons to learn to fly and had no intention of driving them away.
He had even planned last night for him to live above the reservoir atop the tree crown, while the Fire Dragons lived below, monopolizing the Ancient Tree as a family.
Now, he scrutinized the Fire Dragons up and down.
From birth to now, larger than cattle and nearing the size of a small car, they had grown so fast.
Young Fire Dragons grew rapidly, learning to fly soon after birth, and six months after learning, it was time to leave the nest and establish their own territories.
“Their wings are truly strong.”
As for whether to give them a beating… never mind, let them leave with a good impression.
Just when he had time, he would procure a Female Fire Dragon jewel for the smallest among the group.
Jié Jié descended from the air, rubbing against each Fire Dragon one last time to memorize their scents.
He took flight again, the strong wind pressure urging the young dragons forward.
He suddenly realized he couldn’t even make the promise of “I’ll wait for you at the summit of the Ancient Tree.”
He couldn’t remain at the top of the Ancient Tree forever, waiting for them.
Whether waiting for them to return home or challenge him, it was impossible.
“No matter, we’ll meet again.”
The Male Fire Dragon ascended, gradually shrinking in the eyes of the Fire Dragons before disappearing behind the green curtain.
Chapter 86
