The World of Mercenaries

Chapter 14: Challenging the Dragon

Although highly reluctant, piecing together all the clues, Daqingshan had no choice but to accept that his Lü’er was not a cute little dog but a mighty, noble, incredibly rare, immensely powerful, highly intelligent, and majestically elegant ancient Sacred Dragon. What troubled him even more was that he had unwittingly become a noble Dragon Knight. Daqingshan simply couldn’t envision himself wielding a sword while riding a puppy into battle. Against an opponent, even someone mounted on a donkey could easily defeat the legendary and awe-inspiring Sacred Dragon Knight.

Leige further informed him: these Sacred Dragons, capable of transforming into human form, had a juvenile phase lasting at least 400 years. This meant he wouldn’t be able to ride Lü’er for another four centuries. Leige’s expression when saying this left Daqingshan both amused and exasperated. With a comforting pat on the boy’s shoulder, Leige said, “Young man, while most people only live to 80, entering the Tower of Wishes for training could easily extend your life by several centuries.”

Under these circumstances, Daqingshan decided to visit the Green Dragon Terrace to ask the old man why he was forced into this pact with Lü’er—perhaps he was simply meant to care for the dragon’s childhood.

Thus, the Green Dragon Terrace expedition team was formed: two scheming adults, a gloomy Daqingshan, a clueless Amy, and a not-yet-verbal juvenile dragon with the intelligence of a human toddler. Together, they embarked on a peculiar journey.

The Green Dragon Terrace was located in a valley on the northern side of Longya Mountain’s western slopes. Surrounded by towering peaks, its central peak stood tall at 4,200 meters—far exceeding the valley’s average altitude of 2,300 meters. The terrace was accessible via a flat slope on one side, while the other three sides were sheer cliffs. The area was perpetually snow-covered and rarely visited by humans.

As the group journeyed through the wilds of Longya Mountain, Daqingshan’s skills as a hunter became evident. With his powerful crossbow, he either killed or drove off most of the wild beasts they encountered. This sparked Chi Hanfeng’s keen interest in the boy’s abilities, and he often struck up conversations with him. Amy, observing this, concluded that Chi Hanfeng—typically adept at berating others—must have been quite bored being dragged into magical studies by Leige. On the fourth day, as the snow deepened upon entering the valley, Chi Hanfeng, surprisingly, summoned his war-ready steed, Xiaobai. Fully armed, he wore a knight’s helmet, heavy armor, and carried a tiger-headed shield in his left hand and a lance in his right. Even Xiaobai was clad in iron armor, floating majestically in midair. Leige’s reaction was a playful compliment: “Looking sharp!”

Naive Daqingshan fell for the act. Staring in awe at Chi Hanfeng, he then glanced at his own illustrious mount—the revered dragon Lü’er—and his expression oscillated between tears and laughter.

Chi Hanfeng seized the moment. “Daqingshan, if you’re willing to take me as your teacher, I’ll train you to become a knight. Don’t be disheartened; learning more skills is never a bad thing. By the time Lü’er grows up, you’ll be ready. Otherwise, you won’t even qualify to ride it.”

Amy wanted to warn Daqingshan but was silenced by Chi Hanfeng’s menacing “ruin my plan, and you’ll regret it” look. The night before, Leige had been scolded by Chi Hanfeng, who had insisted, “You stole one apprentice from me; this one must be mine!” Now, the Archmage could only whisper under his breath, “Oh, Dragon God, protect this poor child. Amen.”

Thus, Daqingshan unwittingly took his first steps down a dark path.

When history later reflected on this moment, Chi Hanfeng received high praise: “First, a man; second, a seemingly noble man; third, a brazenly noble man with a soft heart. A man of remarkable vision, he formed close ties with the three extraordinary individuals known as the ‘Human-Dragon Gods.’”

While Daqingshan’s destiny took its turn, the Green Dragon Terrace loomed ahead.

As the team rounded a mountain ridge, a deafening dragon’s roar echoed across the sky.

The flat path abruptly narrowed as towering cliffs rose on both sides, forming a corridor. Overhead, a green dragon soared through the air, while another perched on a cliff, craning its long neck to peer curiously at the group below—likely accustomed to such adventurers.

“Humans, halt!” A low growl resonated through the valley. It clearly didn’t come from the two green dragons.

“You’ve trespassed into the domain of the noble Sacred Dragon, Kithsigrilsei. You have three minutes to leave,” the growl intensified, culminating in a roar.

“Noble dragon, we are friends of the Sacred Dragon, here with his kin to visit him,” Leige said, bowing deeply while pulling Lü’er forward.

“One minute remains,” the voice boomed again.

“Leave...” The valley erupted with a thunderous roar.

“Ah—” A long dragon’s cry echoed as the flying green dragon opened its massive jaws. “Phew—” A large fireball surged toward Leige.

“Careful!” Daqingshan shouted, leaping forward. With a loud “thud,” something struck him, sending him sprawling to the ground.

“Foolish apprentice, step back. He’s a Mage Master. Such a basic Tier-1 spell, even from a Sacred Dragon, won’t harm him. His Absolute Magic Barrier negates any spell below Tier-4 and reflects the damage back to the caster.” Chi Hanfeng floated midair astride Xiaobai.

Amy hurried over to help Daqingshan up, while Lü’er bounded back to his side.

The fireball before Leige dispersed like it hit an invisible wall, fragments scattering everywhere. Some of the fire even rebounded onto the green dragon, which, thanks to its innate magic resistance, remained unharmed.

“Marvelous!” Chi Hanfeng applauded. “Who do you think will win? I’m betting on the green dragon—10 gold coins! Ha, dragons are naturally immune to magic. A mage against a dragon? No chance.”

“Ah—” The green dragon roared again. Without uttering an incantation, it summoned a massive lightning orb that descended directly onto Leige’s barrier.

The lightning orb generated a high-voltage electric sphere, shocking all enemies within range. Though less destructive than a lightning strike, it was versatile and devastating against multiple targets. Its high voltage bypassed most armor, making it nearly impossible to defend against.

“Sacred spirit of the wind, float,” Leige chanted, narrowly avoiding the lightning orb’s follow-up strikes. As the orb chased him, Leige darted left, then right, then upward before the orb suddenly changed direction.

Crack! The lightning struck Chi Hanfeng, who was floating midair in full armor. His heavily plated form acted as a natural lightning rod. Though the shock left him paralyzed, he managed to maintain an impressive appearance as he and Xiaobai fled.

“Haha, dodging lightning that way seems effective!” Amy marveled, eyes darting between Leige and Daqingshan. Perhaps Daqingshan, too, would one day don such armor as a mighty knight. Amy’s imagination raced.

“Spirit of the wind, transform into a guardian dragon!” Leige finally counterattacked. Against true dragons, only dragon-level assaults would work. He summoned a Tier-4 spell: the Wind Phantom Dragon.

The Wind Phantom Dragon was a high-tier magical illusion, created through immense mental power. If an enemy couldn’t see through the illusion, the unkillable dragon would wreak havoc, causing irreparable damage until it dissipated.

A yellow dragon materialized in the wind, launching a fierce aerial attack. Its claws tore through the green dragon’s scales, leaving pale scratches. Despite its icy affinity and superior speed, the green dragon struggled to counter the physical might of the phantom.

Realizing the phantom couldn’t match the real dragon, Leige chanted again, unleashing his trump card. “Dark dragon Landa, I summon you in the name of darkness.”

In the howling winds of the valley, Tier-5 magic took form. Tremendous energy coalesced, forming a blinding blue hexagonal magic array. From within its glowing center emerged a colossal dark dragon.

The dark dragon roared, unleashing waves of magical flames. Even the mighty green dragon shrieked in pain as the flames engulfed it, forcing it to retreat to the higher skies.

Dragon lairs are not mere myths or bardic tales. They exist across all continents, though often abandoned. Some have even become tourist attractions, drawing countless visitors annually.

The scale of a dragon lair depends on how long it was inhabited.

Few realize that the dragon lairs exposed to humans are merely those of ordinary or young dragons. Sacred Dragon lairs, however, have never been revealed to mankind. According to legend, the lairs of the six Sacred Dragons are passed down through generations and guarded by lesser dragons of the same affinity.

—Shan Hai Jing: Chronicles of the Dragon Race

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