1610 General Dresden Dies in Battle!
The warriors carried Christopher and dragged away Dongfang He, who did not wish to leave. They retreated in the ten o’clock direction. As long as they could withdraw to a place fifteen kilometers away, they could reach an underground hollow rock wall. There were plenty of narrow paths there, and the Patterned Wyverns would not be able to spread their wings in such a narrow place. They would all be safe once they reached the wall.
“GENERAL!” Dongfang He roared.
His rival Jia Yuntian was pulling him by his arm, dragged him away as if he was being kidnapped. Jia Yuntian nearly pulled out his Heavenly Sword and pressed it against Dongfang He’s throat.
*Shashashasha…*
In the darkness, countless strange figures darted up toward the sky, spreading their bony wings and letting out ghostly screeches. Tens of thousands of Patterned Wyverns had flown out, heading toward General Dresden in numbers that could easily blot out the sun.
The demi-dragons were fatally attracted to drawn blood, and once Dresden had enraged, his flesh became like the tastiest cake. The wyverns seemed to have all gone insane. Only a minority of the mob went chasing after Dongfang He and the others, most of them moving to attack Dresden, eyeing his muscular body with greedy eyes.
Dark Clouds Unleashed!
General Dresden raised his arms, and the Runes on them let out a bright glow in the darkness as his muscles and joints crackled.
Countless black spots suddenly shot out from the old general’s back. They flew everywhere like bullets, forming a grand barrage similar to a large and oppressive black cloud. They shot toward the heads of the Patterned Wyverns, piercing their wings and eyes.
The full name of the general was General Dark Cloud Dresden, of the Blackblood God Clan!
The black pellets that formed into dark clouds were actually Dresden’s blood. They solidified upon coming into contact with the air, becoming as sturdy as metal. The very blood that flowed in Dresden’s veins was his weapon!
The Patterned Wyverns kept screeching. Black blood filled with tempting demon energy made for a delicious meal that they longed for. The Patterned Wyverns used mouths that were as strong as metal to snap and peck at the black blood in the air. The entire pack was in a state of blood frenzy, like they were caught in a dance with a devil.
The number of Patterned Wyverns joining the battle from the shaft increased, and Dresden’s originally dark skin grew paler and paler. Blood arts were extremely cruel special abilities, and right now he was using his very lifeforce for battle. The more blood he used, the more it aroused the Patterned Wyvern’s ferocity!
Countless flapping wings crowded Dresden, biting and tearing at him wildly.
But there was an inexplicable contentment showing on Dresden’s face. He recalled that battle all those years ago, when he was still a young major general with the Demon Slayer Legion, where his seniors and elders had all taken good care of him. When the war reached its final moments, and he watched as the elite demon generals and elite human warriors died together, a single gruff arm had grabbed Dresden and roughly tossed him away.
“You’re still young, you can go off and sacrifice yourself with gratitude in the future! As long as we old men are still alive, it’s not your turn to be a hero!”
His senior had said those words to him way back then. Now that young man Dresden had grown old, becoming the most senior general of Subduing Demon City. He could now protect the young, and prevent them from sacrificing themselves for nothing, leaving a seed of hope for the Legion.
This was now his responsibility!
That was why when danger struck, General Dresden stood forth just like his own commanders all those years ago. The expression on his face was peaceful, still maintaining a slight smile even as the Patterned Wyvern bit at him with their sharp mouths.
“Reporting! Major General Dresden has completed his mission, and is requesting to rejoin the troops!”
Bloodied all over and performing a standard military salute to the air, his rigid posture was just like when he was young and vigorous.
*Kaboom!*
Activating enrage to its limit meant reaching the end of one’s life!
A flash of light appeared, filling the dark cavern, and countless Patterned Wyverns screeched and burned away.
Then as the light dissipated, darkness covered everything once again.
The final survivor of the last all-out war, General Dresden, had died in battle!
…
“Compared to a place like the Subduing Demon City, this place here is the true Hell.
“When talking about the Lower Realm, this little Old Buddha was actually rather interested, but now it seems like this damned place isn’t anything fun at all.
“Hey Xia Fan, don’t you know the Beast King Orders? Why aren’t the flying things listening to your commands?”
Traveling Buddha was leaning against a boulder, muttering lackadaisically. He was not quite feeling fear, but he was very nervous. He did not know what fear was, but he was indeed bored. Traveling Buddha had never been more drained after being chased by these demi-dragons all over the place.
Xia Fan shrugged, “These are demi-dragons, making them somewhat related to Bright Pearl. Isn’t it normal for me not to have any control over them? If you’re capable, go and deal with them yourself.”
Traveling Buddha pulled a face and shrank his head back. “No wonder. So they share the same lineage as Bright Pearl! As long as its something related to the dragons, none of them will be easy to provoke. I even managed to kill quite a few just now, so you better not tell this to Pearl next time. I’m afraid of her glaring at me, even flipping out on me. I’d be really unlucky if that happens.”
To say that Traveling Buddha had no fear would be incorrect. He was rather afraid of Bright Pearl; despite how she would always appear as a little girl. She actually became quite fierce the moment she started glaring, and even Xia Fan did not dare do anything to her.
“It’s not that serious,” Xia Fan waved him off. “Demi-dragons aren’t real dragons, and merely possess a dragon bloodline. A proud creature like Pearl would actually get mad if you told her that she was related to these ugly, bat-like creatures. In the view of dragons, they are unique existences that none can compare to.”
“That’s true!” Traveling Buddha stuck his tongue out. “Well, I feel a lot more assured after hearing you say that. Want to eat some canned food? I have beef and pineapple, and anchovies.”
“Some pineapples, please. I’ve been feeling a bit heated lately.”
“No problem. I still have some champagne, too. Want some?”
“Forget it. We’re already in such a state, so what’s there to celebrate? Just brew us some tea.”
Traveling Buddha and Xia Fan took turns talking. That was when Nikai, who was lying right between the two men, turned around. She looked very confused. She had no idea how the two men could still be so calm, despite the situation they were in. Just who was this Bright Pearl lady they had mentioned, discussing what to eat or drink? Even comments about how Xia Fan recently felt heated came up, so she could not help but feel none of this sounded like they were trapped in the buffer zone, but more like they were on a picnic!
“Don’t move.” Nikai was about to get up when Xia Fan actually pressed her back down. “I just changed your bandages, so hold still for fifteen more minutes. It’s good for your injuries. You won’t be pretty anymore if you end up hobbling when you walk, and Dongfang He and Jia Yuntian would surely have a bone to pick with me if that happens. I have no wish to be seen as a bad doctor by them.”
Nikai only remembered she had broken her leg after hearing Xia Fan say so. It was strange; Xia Fan had helped her change the bandages twice, and the originally very painful broken leg was actually not that painful anymore. Nikai had nearly forgotten just how severely injured she had been!
“Listen to him on this,” Traveling Buddha said as he brewed some tea. “Xia Fan’s skills are decent, and he’s pretty much a jack of all trades, learning a little bit of every random thing. It’s too bad his speed just isn’t fast enough, otherwise we wouldn’t need to be chased all over the place by those demi-dragons.”
Nikai was even more puzzled. “Not really. Xia Fan’s very quick, and might very well be the fastest person in all of Subduing Demon City!”
Xia Fan scratched his head, “It’s too bad, but there’s always going to be a higher mountain. What speed I have actually isn’t enough, exactly as Traveling Buddha says. Comparing myself to others would simply be too much of a joke!”
Xia Fan could not help but think of his father and elder brother. He had learned from Xia Geng that the fastest person on record so far with the Skywing Clan had already broken past light speed. Even the legendary shrewd merchant Xia Laoshi was already at the speed of light.
The speed of light was 300,000 kilometers a second, and even at his best, Xia Fan could only do 50,000 kilometers.
How could you compare between the two? They were practically incomparable!
That was why Xia Fan was the slowest in all of the Skywing Clan. It was not slander to state that, for the fact of the matter was that Xia Fan’s speed was nowhere near even that of the seven-year-old Xia Di!
As a lady from a big clan, Nikai understood how to restrain herself. Since Xia Fan had asked her to continue lying down, she obediently did just that. After hearing the rumors about Bright Pearl, she could infer that she must be a descendant of a dragon. But Nikai did not pester them and ask more questions, because she knew that everyone had their own secrets, and respecting that was the minimum for a refined lady.
Xia Fan checked the time. When it was time, Xia Fan changed her bandages again. “Okay, try taking a few steps,” Xia Fan told her.
Nikai was uncertain, but stood up and did as asked, and was soon elated. “It’s really not painful anymore, and only just a little itchy!”
“That’s normal. Your body is experiencing an accelerated metabolism. At the current stage, the most important thing is nutrition, so eat this before your meal.”
Xia Fan gave Nikai a piece of transparent energy crystal.
“A grade Nine Energy Crystal? This is very expensive!” Nikai was stunned.
“It’s nothing. Just take it as you’re eating. Our Xia Fan here is loaded,” Traveling Buddha said.
Xia Fan grew up eating Grade Nine energy crystals, so he had never found them to be something special. Only later did Xia Fan learn just how rare they were out there in the natural world, and even someone like Nikai would not often see one.
It was just too bad that it was too late by the time Xia Fan realized this. So many of his precious crystals had already been consumed, so he was just left with forty-three and a half of them. Come to think of it, it had been such a waste!
But it was all thanks to Xia Fan eating them that allowed him to build up such a fantastic physical constitution, forcibly making him, someone who was not born with a seventh brain region, into the talent that he was today!
“What do we do next? This place is all dark and gloomy, and it is so huge, with so many demi-dragons. Surely we’re not gonna be trapped here till we die, right?” Traveling Buddha opened his mouth to complain after they were done with their meal.
Xia Fan was helpless in their current situation. Things were too dire. They were currently deep underground, and all their communication devices were blocked. There were plenty of paths, though with how maze-like the place was, it felt directionless, and there were also many demi-dragons that could appear from out of nowhere.
“We can look at the survival handbook. There should be notes on how to deal with the various situations of danger we encounter,” Nikai suggested.
“Are you talking about this thing?” Traveling Buddha pulled out a little booklet wrapped in sealed paper.
Nikai blushed. She took out a booklet that was exquisite, obviously different from the shoddy copy that Traveling Buddha owned. It looked many times better in quality.
“This is the special one that the members of the Demon Slayers all get,” Nikai explained.
“Tsk!” Traveling Buddha pouted and tossed the lousy booklet of his into the darkness, “That’s why I say the Subduing Demon City appears to be so crap, when actually it was just that they never viewed us as their own people to begin with. Even the survival handbook we’re given is different! Feels like they are saying that the only lives worth saving are those from the Demon Slayers, while us outsiders deserve death!”
“I’m… I’m sorry,” Nikai softly apologized, lowering her head in shame.
“Forget it. Enough with your criticisms. It must be those people in charge who came up with this idea, and Nikai had nothing to do with it,” Xia Fan said in an attempt to defuse the tension.
Xia Fan was very quick, and his speed applied to his reading as well. In the blink of an eye, he had finished reading the survival handbook and wrinkled his eyebrows, “Interesting. This book says that the Demon Slayer Legion has an ally here that we could seek for help if we ever find ourselves trapped!”
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