"An external spirit bone? Xiao Zhang, we're unbelievably lucky today! First, we ran into a sub-dragon Soul Beast and its true dragon egg, and now, after absorbing the spirit ring, you even obtained an external spirit bone!"
Qiangu Yunying looked at him with excitement, then asked curiously,
"By the way, Xiao Zhang, what level is your spirit power now? Absorbing a 55,000-year-old Fire-Winged Flying Dragon should've boosted you a lot, right?"
Yin Zhang nodded lightly.
"My spirit power is now level 54. Absorbing its spirit ring really did strengthen me significantly. As for its body… it is the mother of that true dragon egg, after all. I won't eat it. I'll burn it to ashes and let it nourish this valley instead."
As he spoke, Yin Zhang could already sense the Soft-Boned Rabbits lurking in the underground caves, eyeing the Fire-Winged Flying Dragon's corpse.
If he neither consumed it nor destroyed it, the corpse would eventually be devoured by them.
After all, Soft-Boned Rabbits weren't strictly herbivorous—they were omnivores. In the past, limited by their strength, they had no chance to eat meat and survived mainly on plants. Now, however, they had the opportunity to feast on the flesh of a Fire-Winged Flying Dragon, a Soul Beast with a strong dragon bloodline. Such flesh was extremely beneficial to other Soul Beasts, capable of extending their lifespan. Naturally, they wouldn't let it go.
"Xiao Zhang, I'm going to catch a few rabbits and roast them," Qiangu Yunying said cheerfully.
"We haven't eaten lunch yet, and I'm starving. I know you're great at roasting rabbits, but I'm not bad either. Later, let's have a rabbit-roasting competition!"
With that, Qiangu Yunying moved aside and summoned her martial spirit, the Flame-Plundering Spear. With each swift thrust, a rabbit was skewered. In no time at all, she had strung together several rabbits—four at a glance.
The Soft-Boned Rabbits in this valley had been kept in a state of near captivity by the Fire-Winged Flying Dragons for countless years. Very few of them lived long lives; most were eaten once they reached around ten years of age, though there were rare exceptions.
Qiangu Yunying went through considerable effort and maneuvering before finally managing to catch two Soft-Boned Rabbits that had reached one hundred years of cultivation.
Meanwhile, Yin Zhang burned away all the flesh and blood of the Fire-Winged Flying Dragon, leaving only its skeleton behind.
At first, he had planned to keep some of the dragon bones to have them crafted into ornaments once he returned to a human city.
But then he reconsidered.
This is a true dragon egg.
True dragons were fundamentally different from ordinary Soul Beasts. Offending one over something so trivial would be a needless loss.
With that thought, Yin Zhang increased the intensity of his flames, burning the remaining skeleton to ashes and scattering them across the valley's grassland. It was easy to imagine that for many years to come, the vegetation here would grow far more lush than before.
The valley was peaceful and beautiful, and Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying stayed there temporarily, waiting for the dragon egg to hatch.
After all, securing the loyalty of a true dragon was even more valuable than obtaining a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast.
Who didn't dream of becoming a dragon knight?
Moreover, once cultivated, a true dragon's lifespan would far surpass that of humans—practically immortal from a human perspective. Only after reaching the limit of one hundred thousand years would it face a heavenly tribulation due to its cultivation, and that was tens of thousands of years away.
Finally, on the third day—
Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying were basking in the sunlight in the valley when Yin Zhang suddenly sensed movement from the cave in the cliff wall. He immediately grabbed Qiangu Yunying and flew over.
Inside the cave, the massive dragon egg began to tremble, thin cracks spreading across its surface.
Yin Zhang felt a surge of relief and quiet joy. Their patience over the past few days hadn't been wasted.
Qiangu Yunying was visibly excited as she watched the cracks grow wider. She grabbed Yin Zhang's arm and asked eagerly,
"Xiao Zhang, what do you think a real dragon will look like after it hatches? Will it be obedient?"
Yin Zhang laughed softly.
"How would I know? It'll be out soon—you'll see for yourself. There's no point worrying about it now."
Qiangu Yunying nodded. "That's true."
Just as Yin Zhang turned his head, a familiar system prompt echoed in his mind.
[A choice has been detected for the host. Triggering selection.]
First Option:
You have only spent a few days with the true dragon egg, and your emotional bond is still shallow. However, a true dragon will develop an intense attachment to the first being it sees after hatching. If that being is also a dragon, it will directly recognize them as its parent.
You will activate martial soul possession, transform into a dragon-man, and actively release the aura of the Fire Wing Dragon Palm Bone, allowing the true dragon to acknowledge you as its father and never betray you.
Reward: Growth-Type Dragon Ball
(Suitable for dragon-attribute Soul Beasts. After consumption, it will continuously strengthen itself through cultivation. Extremely beneficial for true dragons or Soul Beasts with dragon bloodlines.)
Second Option: …
Yin Zhang focused on the first option. The description was unusually detailed, and the reward seemed perfectly tailored to his current situation.
A growth-type Dragon Ball—something ideal for a true dragon.
And absolute loyalty.
There was nothing to hesitate over.
I choose the first option.
[Congratulations, Host. Selection successful. The Growth-Type Dragon Ball has been stored in your personal inventory.]
[Warehouse]: Growth-Type Dragon Ball
Without hesitation, Yin Zhang summoned his Fire-Breathing Dragon martial soul and entered possession, transforming into a small dragon-man.
At the same time, he released his dragon might.
This pressure posed no threat to the newborn true dragon. On the contrary, because the Fire-Winged Flying Dragon's bloodline was weaker than that of a true dragon, this aura would only make the hatchling feel a sense of closeness and familiarity.
At this critical moment, Yin Zhang's sudden transformation startled Qiangu Yunying.
"Xiao Zhang, what are you doing?" she asked anxiously.
"Does this mean the dragon will hurt people after it hatches?"
Yin Zhang gently shook his head.
"No. I think a true dragon will feel closer to me if we both look like dragons. It'll help us form a bond more easily. Do you understand, Sister Yunying?"
Qiangu Yunying nodded absentmindedly. She often seemed a little slow to react in moments like this.
The two of them waited a few more seconds.
The cracks on the eggshell spread rapidly—then, with a sharp crack, the shell burst open.
A true dragon emerged.
Its body was covered in black and red scales, with two small horns on its forehead, a pair of young dragon wings on its back, and a short dragon tail behind it.
Contrary to the fearsome image Yin Zhang had imagined—
The dragon cub was only about the size of a calf.
And… surprisingly adorable.
"Awooo—"
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