Published: February 13, 2025
The water-blue giant dragon glanced at Red Boy, showing no reaction.
“Chao Yang, you…”
The elder of the Earth Dragon Race, Rang Tang, opened his mouth to say something but sighed and fell silent upon seeing Chao Yang's expression.
Xuanyan was clearly a bit angry; he looked at the strikingly beautiful giant dragon and said, “Chao Yang, you have been solitary all these years. We have never spoken against it because the events of that year were our fault. You have a high reputation among the younger generation, and at times, many of our kin are willing to listen to you rather than the elders.”
“However, the eight of us and the clan leader will not intervene, but you must understand that you are also a member of the Dragon Race. You are suppressing the toxins for your kin. If you leave, many of our kin will lose this opportunity. The longer you stay away, the more toxins will accumulate, and once they cross their own threshold, they will no longer be salvageable.”
“Do you want to watch them die like that?”
Water and fire, like light and dark, have some contradictions due to their opposing attributes, but those are minor issues. In the face of major dilemmas, they would remain restrained, and when facing external enemies, they are trusting comrades.
Therefore, even though Xuanyan strongly disagreed with Chao Yang's decision, he could only present facts and reason with her, and could not forcefully command her or summon the elder of the water dragon to suppress Chao Yang.
In fact, even if the elder of the water dragons came, they could not suppress Chao Yang; the situation might even turn around.
Chao Yang shook her head. “I will take some kin with me, and I will ensure their safety wherever we go.”
After a glance at each other, Rang Tang spoke softly, “Chao Yang, do not forget our ancestors’ oath.”
“If you leave without breaking the oath, unforeseen disasters may befall you. Are you willing to bear this along with your kin?”
Ye Zhongming raised his eyebrows at the side, an oath? An oath of the Dragon Race?
Chao Yang sneered, “Is that just some nonsense we said to the air regarding certain existences? Yes, the oath may exist, but after all these years of adhering to it, that is enough. I do not intend to abide by it, and many of my kin do not intend to either. What will happen if we go out to take a look? Backlash? Calamity? Bring it on; it's merely a tragic end. Isn’t that the conclusion we will face here anyway? The only difference lies in the manner of death.”
“Didn’t you all have similar hopes back then, refusing to act and seeking others to do it for you? Justifying it as the greater good? To put it bluntly, aren’t you just afraid of death?”
Ye Zhongming sensed the immense resentment in this beautiful water dragon, and it seemed there was a deep conflict between both sides, as if the clan leaders had done something wrong to her in the past.
“You!” Xuanyan floated up into the sky, a massive air current spreading outwards, clearly enraged.
Rang Tang hurried to calm his old friend down, then turned to Chao Yang, “Regarding the events of that year, perhaps we had our shortcomings, but Chao Yang, I ask you, if you were the elder, what would you do? Would you choose to act differently than we did? Moreover, we have been doing this for generations; your anger should not be solely directed at us.”
Chao Yang listened but said nothing, merely gazing at the horizon, leaving it unclear if she was absorbing any of it.
The atmosphere became awkward, and after a while, Red Boy felt he should break the silence, after all, he was the youngest, so what if he got scolded?
But before he could speak, Chao Yang addressed Ye Zhongming.
“I will take twenty-two kin with me, how about that?”
Ye Zhongming nodded decisively. “That works for the antidote aspect.”
Upon hearing this, a dangerous glint flickered in Chao Yang's eyes. “Just an antidote? What about the Fuleira Potion?”
“Of course, that’s a separate matter,” Ye Zhongming replied matter-of-factly.