Starting with watering the World Tree for otherworldly survival

Page 335

"In conjunction with my bloodline, it can imbue the banshee's shrieking attacks with dragon's might. I asked you to test it because half-dragon blood can effectively resist the suppression of dragon's might."

"When you draw your sword, you will be momentarily affected in your senses. Don't worry, I will not harm my most trusted followers."

As she spoke, an exquisitely crafted swift sword appeared at Zhuang Daihua's waist.

From this angle, she drew her sword and thrust again, aiming straight for the gnoll's heart in an instant.

……

Upon seeing the weapon Zhuang Daihua was about to test, the jackal was immediately terrified. It knew that from this angle, if Zhuang Daihua intended to kill it, it would surely perish.

But this distance also presents an opportunity for a strong half-Iron Dragon Gnoll.

By subduing the Swift Sword at the cost of one hand, the half-Iron Dragon Gnoll could then easily overpower the humanoid Purple Dragon at this distance.

Dragons that excel at fighting in human form are often metallic dragons who hold important positions in human society. Some evil dragons may spend their entire lives without ever having much experience fighting in human form.

In human form, how much of her original fighting power can she utilize? The metal dragon can provide the answer.

Silver dragons disguise themselves as humans, elves, or half-elves, traveling the world with other adventurers. Generally, a silver dragon disguised as a human can only unleash 60% or even less of its full power.

Unless faced with the imminent threat of annihilation if they do not reveal their true forms, these disguised silver dragons will not easily revert to their original forms.

The purple dragon before me, even after practicing humanoid combat from its eggshell, can only unleash about 30-40% of its true power...

Furthermore, the Purple Dragon Duchess before them was merely a young dragon. She was only nineteen years old, her scales hadn't even fully grown, and at most, she was only at the peak of the third rank.

He himself was a fifth-tier lower-level half-dragon, immune to the purple dragon's fire energy breath.

As long as I can strike first before Zhuang Daihua draws her sword, I can kill her!

The legendary fire staff will be in the gnoll's hands—as a half-dragon, it can use the staff to cast spells.

That Swiftsword, capable of casting spells, could also be its possession! The gnoll had seen the Swiftsword before and knew how to use such a weapon.

The demiplane ring, and the treasures of the purple dragon within it, each could potentially turn the tide for the purple dragon girl before them.

To kill Zhuang Daihua and seize everything... it had to seize the opportunity before it. It wouldn't allow Zhuang Daihua the slightest chance to draw her sword first, and would focus all its efforts on severely injuring her while she remained in human form.

In that case, it would be confident of killing Zhuang Daihua before she could mount an effective counterattack.

By obtaining all of the Purple Dragon's treasures, it will have the means to capture the Iron Dragon! By capturing the real Iron Dragon, it will learn the ritual for transforming into a half-dragon.

At that time, this bloodline, which was forcibly obtained, will truly become a half-dragon.

With these, it can achieve instant success.

How could the gnolls know that Zhuang Daihua before them was not an ordinary purple dragon in human form? She could easily contend with the gnolls using the effects of her two hunter charms, Claw of Power and Claw of Protection.

Then, the purple dragon summoned from the Ring of the Dragon will catch the gnoll off guard. Before this half-dragon gnoll can uncover more of Zhuang Daihua's secrets, it will perish from its own greed.

Zhuang Daihua moved. The moment she grasped the Banshee's Blessing with its exquisite bowl-shaped gauntlets, the gnoll's upper body was already covered in fine iron scales.

The purple dragon also has resistance to fire and lightning, so its claws, strengthened by the blood of the iron dragon, slash with pure force.

The target was Zhuang Daihua's neck, and she was struck by this claw while in human form. Even the true young Zilong would be severely injured on the spot.

however--

The imagined scene did not occur; Zhuang Daihua did not even need to draw her sword.

What deflected the iron claws of the half-dragon-transformed jackal was Zhuang Daihua's slender, willow-like arm in her human form.

This is impossible...! How could a young Shiryu possess such power in human form? According to the Dragon's Legacy... no... no!

Although the inheritance that the half-dragon obtained by stealing dragon blood was not comprehensive, it was enough for Yeno to understand the limits of a normal young Shiryu. Zhuang Daihua's power, however, was far beyond the expected limits.

The Guardian Claw's effectiveness lies in its ability to parry the half-dragon gnoll's claws with a single arm. However, this defeat was due to an arm-to-arm parry, rather than a direct clash between claws and flesh.

There's no turning back once the arrow is released; the jackals are determined to gamble! They'll keep risking everything!

However... just as its right claw caught Zhuang Daihua's hand that was drawing her sword and it was unable to react, a giant purple shadow suddenly appeared between it and the girl.

Then, the gnoll witnessed the most unbelievable sight of its life—

It has violet-colored scales, snow-white horns, and demonic blood-red vertical pupils.

This is the most beautiful true dragon species, and the gnolls thought they were about to face the true form of the purple dragon.

But the human woman, even more beautiful than the dragon, still stood behind the dragon's wings!

She deflected the iron claws of the gnoll's arm and grasped the legendary staff. The purple dragon's claws also spread out, unleashing a powerful slash towards the gnoll's chest.

"You...you're not Shiryu! It is!!"

Finally realizing the problem, Zilong and Zhuang Daihua are two separate entities! A young mage wielding a legendary staff, and a purple dragon!

"Surprised? You traitor~ Don't worry, I won't let you die too quickly."

If it weren't for Qin He, Zhuang Daihua would have been tricked by that damned gnoll sooner or later. Even with the powerful defensive boost from the Guardian Claws, it couldn't protect her most vulnerable neck from the half-dragon's claws.

She began to understand the dragon's methods: tormenting its prey... to frighten and terrify them!

Thinking of this, Zhuang Daihua activated a small, extra function of the Secret Dragon Ring.

The pair of snow-white, long dragon horns extended from the top of his head, and the slender dragon tail, smooth as an iron whip, also swung out with a sharp, whistling sound.

"I can be a human mage, or I can be a dragon that crushes every bone in your body~"

Upon seeing Zhuang Daihua grow dragon horns, the jackal-man turned ashen-faced. Two purple dragons!

Knowing that there was no hope of escape, the jackal frantically swung its claws and tried to gouge out Zhuang Daihua.

Even if they were strong, they were still just peak-stage third-tier young dragons. This distance…

"Very good, it's time to test the sword."

The Banshee's Blessing was drawn with a chilling thud, the tip of the magical sword, born for piercing, echoing with the Banshee's lament. It was a piercing scream that utterly numbed the gnoll—

Even a half-dragon would lose consciousness for a full ten seconds under the influence of the shriek, which is enough for Zhuang Daihua to kill her thousands of times over.

Moreover, the gnolls' minds were further clouded by their screams. They reverted from cunning and treacherous half-dragons back to the level of ordinary gnolls.

With a single thought, the energy of the Purple Dragon's Blade Breath coiled around the Banshee's Blessing sword. Zhuang Daihua wouldn't stab the heart; she wanted to keep her word and not let the gnoll before her die too quickly.

At the very least, every bone in its body must be crushed to powder, and all the blood that can be collected must be gathered, until Qin He finds a way to reuse the waste and recycle the dragon blood.

So... we can't let this half-dragon gnoll disappear from the world yet.

The sharp white light that burst forth from the sheath pierced directly through the gaps in the gnoll's ribs, pinning it to the ground without damaging its internal organs.

Even the iron scales of a half-dragon could not withstand Zhuang Daihua's energy blades. This kind of attack was even more terrifying than the enhancement of most battle qi.

"Cough—?!"

Ten seconds passed, and the gnoll, having regained consciousness, realized that he had been impaled.

"I...I...Master! Please believe me, I was just momentarily bewitched..."

The jackal-men let out whimpers of pleading, the sounds of hyenas and jackals.

Like a disgusting dog.

"Go to hell, you lowly thing. Why don't you say your ancestors ordered you to do this? Did the demon lord who created you know how blind you were?"

"Enough with the small talk, are you ready... to meet my good friend?"

Since she was playing the role of the evil dragon, Zhuang Daihua didn't bother with the airs of a well-bred lady. She stabbed and mauled the gnoll's body with her swift sword, even uttering profanities she had never used in her nineteen years of life.

She feels very relaxed right now.

Then, a snowy owl with full, fluffy plumage gracefully flew to Zhuang Daihua's shoulder, landing on her light shawl—

The snow owl, no bigger than a cabbage, landed on the ground in the blink of an eye. Its body transformed into an eight-meter-long adult snow owl-bear, a terrifying monster capable of tearing the half-dragon gnoll to pieces.

"Yuki, please crush every bone in it. Then cut off all the meat, and collect all the blood, flesh, and scraps into this pot."

Xuehui extended her sharp claws, enough to rip flesh and draw blood, and nodded to Zhuang Daihua.

……

It must be said that Xuehui was quite efficient at dismembering the gnoll. Only the feathers on the tips of her claws were slightly stained with blood. The gnoll, who died in agony, is now in the alchemy cauldron prepared by Zhuang Daihua.

A purification spell was cast on Yuki, and the bloodstains quickly disappeared from the snow feathers with their mottled black floral patterns.

"Thank you, Yukie~"

Zhuang Daihua was preparing the materials needed to refine the Iron Dragon Bloodline when Qin He spoke up:

“Miss Zhuang, it’s infuriating that you would say such a thing. That gnoll is indeed infuriating. But that’s just how the world is, and you have to adapt to it as soon as possible.”

Zhuang Daihua didn't possess Qin He's extraordinary talent for governance, so naturally she couldn't ensure the loyalty of everyone under her command who trusted her.

"Mr. Qin, I come from a very strict family. My mother... she raised me into the person I am today. I'm very grateful to her."

"But... it's not so bad as it is now. Maybe I was born with the potential to become a dragon?"

Let those long, jade-like dragon horns remain nestled in her hair. Zhuang Daihua's charming smile and graceful gesture with her slender fingers were simply breathtaking.

"Qin He... my ally. I look forward to your guidance in the future."

On the other side of the screen—

"Oh, oh, oh, oh~ Honey! Dai Dai is calling you Qin He! What about you~"

Zhuang Daihua finally changed her way of addressing Qin He from "Mr. Qin" to calling him by his given name.

Before Qin He could even show a hint of joy, Zhong Liuxiu was already swaying her dragon tail wildly with delight. Her pair of plump legs, tightly gripping Qin He's neck, were squeezing his cheeks flat.

"@*&%#……release."

Qin He paused, regulated his breathing, and then said to the woman on the other end of the communication terminal, "I will, Zhuang Daihua."

Chapter 397 Great Success

Drinking or refining ordinary dragon blood might at most cause the user to grow some dragon scales. Further transformation is impossible.

Therefore, what the gnolls took from the degraded Iron Dragon was true blood that was close to the origin of the dragon.

No matter how weak Red Rust itself is, the true blood within it is genuine Iron Dragon blood. It is something capable of creating a powerful half-dragon.

This is completely different from the Deep Dragon, as the Purple Dragon's true blood cannot be extracted from the Deep Dragon's body.

Deep Dragon only resembles Purple Dragon in appearance. Because it lives in the Dark Region and has symbiotic fungi growing on its body, its actual appearance is far inferior to Purple Dragon's.

The gnoll tribe was incredibly lucky to encounter Red Rust. Yeno stunned Red Rust with a sneak attack and stole its true blood.

Afterwards, the cunning gnoll didn't kill Red Rust, but instead gradually refined its true blood. It attributed its transformation to Red Rust, outwardly acknowledging this dim-witted, degraded iron dragon as its master.

Dragon servants are a rather abstract concept. Anyone who is loyal to dragons and provides them with help and service may have the potential to gain the power of dragons.

It sounds ridiculous, but it's like how Phyllis's family signed a contract with the Purple Lightning Cat, after which this catgirl family could awaken the Purple Lightning Cat's bloodline.

These kobolds and similar races do indeed gain practical benefits from pledging allegiance to a dragon.

Just like Qinlan and the kobold tribe, the kobolds now worship Qinlan as their master, and some of their members have begun to favor the diet of iron dragons.

They grind the iron ore into powder and mix it into roasted meat and dry rations. Some of the wilder ones have even started to imitate Qin Lan and eat iron ore raw.

Moreover, some exceptionally gifted individuals and kobold shaman elders grew several glossy iron scales.

Of course, the probability of this "Dragon Servant" situation occurring is not stable. Otherwise, all true dragons would use this method to determine the loyalty of their followers.

As a servant of a dragon, faithful service can indeed lead to the growth of dragon scales. The deceived Red Rust was unaware that his true blood had been stolen, believing only that he was severely injured and weakened after an attack.

Although it was indeed incredibly stupid, considering its degraded status as an Iron Dragon, it was somewhat understandable. Even goblins could easily fool them.

With the plunderers providing him with good food and drink, Red Rust managed to replenish his lost True Blood. This True Blood then naturally gave birth to a powerful half-dragon gnoll.

Unfortunately, that gnoll is now just a chunk of meat in the alchemy cauldron. Using the magical materials Qin He mentioned, and with the purple dragon's breath as the fire source, the true blood belonging to the iron dragon was gradually stripped away.

To thoroughly extract true blood, basic firepower is essential. There's also a protective array specifically designed to safeguard and lock the true blood components, preventing this precious blood from losing its potent effects in the fire.

The young Purple Dragon's breath was not actually sufficient for refinement. Therefore, Zhuang Daihua threw the Staff of Molten Embers into the Purple Dragon's stomach, allowing the legendary staff's amplification to be fully applied to the flame breath.

The purple dragon summoned by the Ring of the Secret Dragon can be regarded as a large suitcase.

When you put food into its stomach, which is made of bone plates, it won't get contaminated with saliva or gastric juices; the inside is a completely clean, sterile environment.

Zhuang Daihua herself wasn't idle either, wielding the Swift Sword as Qin He instructed. She made the Banshee's Blessing act like a conductor's baton, drawing ancient dragon symbols in the air.

The Banshee's Blessing can help Zhuang Daihua use all the magic she can cast, making the refining process much more efficient.

Soon, the gnoll's fire-resistant half-dragon body lost its connection to dragon blood under the layers of nested magic arrays.

The gnoll's flesh and blood quickly turned to char, without even a chance to emit a fragrant aroma, and soon turned to ashes at the bottom of the alchemy cauldron.

"Coo coo—! Your Highness Qin He~"