High Above

——People often say that dragons have a long lifespan and are almost immortal, even immortal.

It is not surprising to have this impression, because dragons do indeed live much longer than mortals. A real dragon occupies a place, and people may coexist with it for more than ten generations.

But behind the scenes, it’s actually an illusion.

All things will be destroyed when they are born, and they will die when they exist. Mountains will overturn, oceans will dry up, and even stars will have an end and will turn into final black stars.

Not to mention dragons?

Although Solstna (Qiang Steel Dragon) has a long lifespan compared to those villains on the planet, without the help of special methods, he will go through a complete cycle within five hundred years. Life cycle, from birth to death.

Not more, not less.

This is just the right time to witness a cycle of civilization, but it will not cause a change in mentality due to a long life span, lose enthusiasm and love, become indifferent and numb, and be unable to observe everything objectively and realistically.

So that they can better complete their tasks.

As a third-generation true dragon, Solstner once heard his mentor, the second-generation true dragon, speculate about the origin of his family: they were not ashamed to admit that they were probably created by some advanced civilization. Artificial life, on the contrary, believes that the self created by advanced civilization represents some lofty meaning.

Observing civilization may be one of their natural missions... and after the five-hundred-year life cycle ends, dragons as observers should also return to their creators.

At that time, they will undergo a complete transformation and be promoted from dragons to a higher form of life.

A truly eternal life.

So surmised His Master.

But other instructors have other speculations: for example, the dragon is a fighting life form that does not need that long life; for example, the dragon is just a well-behaved pet created by the creator. If you hate it, you can change it, and if you like it, it will increase. Service life; for example, dragons are the bodies of creators walking in the world, but the creators are no longer in the world, so the bodies give birth to souls again, and then they are born.

There are different opinions, each with evidence and logic.

But no dragon can convince another dragon.

The personalities, ecology, and abilities of dragons are so different that no dragon can fully understand another dragon. They are seemingly identical, but completely different creatures.

Dragons have such a contradictory existence: their essence core is exactly the same, and even their skins are mostly similar, but the flesh, flesh and soul under the skin are completely different and completely opposite.

Therefore, conflicts were born. As the third generation of dragons was born one after another, the dragon group was completely divided and even fell into civil war.

Solstner has not experienced the dragon battle that is said to be able to destroy the stars, but his mentor has.

He and his mentor are dragons with some "common characteristics", so they can understand each other's thinking. This is the only relationship that dragons can reach a tacit understanding of.

Of course, with the emergence of the fourth generation of true dragons that can give birth to offspring, the gap between true dragons has gradually become smaller... But in a sense, this is also the process of true dragons beginning to transform into real mortal beings.

The mentor firmly believes that the ultimate lifespan of their true dragons is definitely more than a mere five hundred years. In order to ensure that their work processes are controllable, the creators artificially limited their 'use time limit'.

There must be a device, somewhere, that can unlock their limitations for dragons... allowing them to become truly immortal beings that can run parallel to their creators.

【Can it be so great? Creator? 】

Solstner would sometimes think so. When he was young, he always felt disapproving. If they were indeed the creations of a powerful civilization, then why did the creator allow these powerful tools to have eternal lifespan?

Tools are things that should be replaced after use, so why add something extra so that they can live forever?

But there’s nothing wrong with eternal life.

Anyway, go try and look for it.

This is His mission.

So the dragon spread its wings and set sail in the darkness.

He flew in the direction of the bright star, flying all the way.

Finally, a prosperous land was reached.

——Ian feels the memory of Solstner, the steel dragon.

It was a very old, very long time ago.

At that time, Qiang Ganglong had not yet known humans, had not yet become a dragon god, had not protected the mountain people for hundreds of years, and had not yet discovered the fragments of the spacecraft that had fallen from the sky in the Baisen Mountains.

Carrying the wishes of his mentor, he set out from the dark place of nowhere, crossed the void, and came to Terra, looking for things related to true dragons and eternal life.

This was the beginning of Solstner's life in a real sense.

Ian is thinking.

"Sure enough, the real dragon is also guessing about its origin?"

At this moment, Ian detached himself from the memory of the real dragon and considered the information in these memories from the perspective of a bystander. The more he watched, the more certain he became in his guess: "Sure enough, the real dragon is some kind of extraordinary thing." Natural super life forms—they are perfect from beginning to end, but they also have many flaws that normal creatures do not have."

"But, a cosmic-level life form... If the true dragon is really a created life, what exactly is the mission that needs them to complete?"

"Moreover, this memory does not contain the scene of Solstner's birth - instead, it seems to have been specially extracted to tell people like me who can watch the inheritance why he came to Terra."

"There will definitely be a follow-up."

The spirit continues to deepen, and the retrospective vision and the power of the silver chip work together, and Ian digs into the past of the Dragon God stored in the holy mountain.

Soon, a brand new scene emerged again, and this time it was not the memory of Qiang Steel Dragon's first visit to Terra.

It is the scene when His time is approaching and He is about to die.

——Hundreds of years ago, at the top of Qiangang Mountain.

Winter clouds lingered around the horizon, and an extremely fierce snowstorm swept across the entire mountain range. Only Qiangang Holy Mountain still had warm sunshine due to its height and the protection of the Dragon God.

Under the golden light, the silver-gray dragon prostrates in the center of the holy mountain.

He has grown old, and although the carapace and chips on his body are still strong, they are no longer as bright and shining as when he was young. The originally bright silver dragon pupils may have looked dim because of his lowered eyelids.

He could make himself look younger, but it was not necessary. Solstner had no fear of death. Throughout his life, he lived a fulfilling and perfect life. Some people loved him, some respected him, and some believed in him. , someone respects Him.

Even the dragon was satisfied in this regard. Although he did not complete his mission, he lived a life of his own.

Enjoying the warmth of the sun, the old Baisen Dragon God sensed that a person came in front of him.

It was a tall mountain man with brown hair, light purple eyes, lightning flowing on his body, and a large sword with flashing arcs of electricity on his back.

He knelt down on one knee humbly and bowed his head deeply to the old dragon.

"Your Majesty, there is a strange phenomenon in the northeast. Canaan Moor has encountered a cold disaster, and the air on the mountain side is getting colder... The blizzard has swept through the residences of hundreds of tribes, big and small. Next, we have to go all out For disaster relief, there may be fewer manpower to serve you..."

The leaders of the Kingdom of Dragon God are also children in His eyes. Solstner remembered the name of the other party, which was Mingshan Xuanfeng. He was the leader of the Xuanfeng tribe. These villains were always exceptionally tall and had loud voices, so they were chosen to report to him on the affairs of the country. important matters.

But in fact, Lao Long could clearly hear the friction of the ant's tentacles, so why did he need such a loud voice? But in the final analysis, it was the villain's good intentions. Solstner had heard reports from Xuanfeng's family for more than ten generations, and he had long been accustomed to such voices.

In its long life compared to humans, dragons cannot be said to like humans very much, but they do not dislike these energetic guys.

He saw with his own eyes that the ancestors of the people in front of him followed his footsteps and opened up the first piece of wasteland in the mountains. In order to keep up with his tracks and catch up with his flying speed, he tried his best to hunt down the thundering monsters.

Not only that... there are many, many others...

Many figures suddenly appeared in Solstner's mind, and he thought of the ancestors of many tribes of mountain people: the ancestor of the Xuanfeng tribe was a tall, taciturn man who was good at handwork and carved the first wooden statue for himself. The chief of the Avod tribe was a gentle woman, but she was good at using a pair of knives. She was excellent at tearing the enemy's flesh or chopping vegetables. She was the dream lover of all the mountain people at that time.

He still remembered the chiefs of the Snake Rock Tribe and the Yanshi Tribe, with their long pointed noses and big fleshy ears. Old Boka and Bofu were good brothers. They followed him very late, but helped him find the vision. Shi was the most diligent and shrewd. One of the two took the potion of the Steel Rock Snake, and the other took the potion of the Rock-bearing Lizard, just to be able to travel between the mountains and explore the clues of those subtle places for themselves.

There are many, many people, their own faces, and their descendants' faces flashing before the Dragon God's eyes.

They had died long ago and returned to heaven, earth and mountains.

The immortal dragon does not feel sad, because this is a person's life, and they have never regretted it, so why does he need to feel sad?

However, it is also time.

As he grew older, Solstner felt that his heart began to become indifferent, and he began to be unable to recall those faces.

Yes, the mountain people he had helped almost established a kingdom, but apart from the beginning, he did not provide any protection to them in the future.

Of course, if you have to say it, allowing these mountain people to live in their own territory may be regarded as a kind of shelter... But isn't it also quite interesting? Watching the little people being born and dying, building their own homes on this land, offering sacrifices and prayers around themselves, praising the names of Him and the mountains.

Such a life is quite good.

But now, in Solstner's heart, there is no longer an inexplicable satisfaction and pride, a kind of pride as their 'Mountain Dragon God'.

Now, in his heart, there is only a faint sense of overlooking, an unspeakable alienation.

Time turns too much familiarity into indifference.

The wooden statues have decayed, the rock statues have been eroded by the wind, and the steel dragons are also stained with rust.

--Yes.

Solstner suddenly had a realization in his heart: This is the lifespan of a dragon.

Five hundred years is the final deadline for passion. After five hundred years, the dragon will gradually lose its understanding of the subtleties of this world. If it does not transform into a higher life form as soon as possible, it will have a more eternal way of thinking. , then he will gradually lose emotion and empathy.

Eventually, it becomes a mechanical being.

So...it's time for Him to go.

[Don’t worry, Mingshan·Xuanfeng]

At this moment, He spoke: [That is not a cold disaster, but another old dragon that is declining and dying]

[My people, eager for the secret treasure in my hand, come here with the intention of making a last ditch effort before death]

Mingshan Xuanfeng raised his head in astonishment, which was extremely disrespectful, but the Dragon God actually didn't care about these etiquettes at all, and he was also shocked because the Dragon God took the initiative to speak to the mountain people for the first time in decades: "Your Majesty?! you……"

——You actually remember my name?

Although he didn't say these words, Long could completely guess what he was thinking - and not just him? If the dragon wishes, he can remember the names of all those who respect him as the Dragon God.

So He knew all along.

[This is not asylum, just to protect my property]

At this moment, the blizzard is coming towards the Holy Mountain. The towering icy cloud mountains are like the waves of a tsunami, carrying biting ice and frost and snow, trying to cover the dragon's lair.

The old dragon slowly supported his limbs. He was still powerful and had the power to influence the world. Even though the Steel Dragon has slowly rusted, he can still exert 100% of his strength before death.

With his wings spread out, the Dragon God raised his head and stared at his fellow humans in the endless ice and snow in the distance - he could hear roars and threats, as well as naked greed.

[——Solstner, hand over your treasure! 】

The battle between dragons always revolves around treasure.

People in the world often say that dragons love gold, silver, and all valuable treasures... This cannot be said to be wrong, because what dragons long for is indeed this earth, this planet, and the most precious wealth in this star field.

Like the fragments beneath Him, the fragments of His Kingdom.

and those in His kingdom.

That is the real, priceless treasure that cannot be measured by value.

So, it’s time to flap your wings and take flight for the last time——

In the astonished gaze of Mingshan and Xuanfeng, in the eyes of the mountain people who endured all the snowstorms, in the towering peak of the majestic holy mountain shining with bright silver flames, the giant dragon that has experienced a long time is fluttering its wings, incredible The power dispelled all the haze and snow clouds in the entire mountain range in an instant.

The sun is like a sword, piercing the sky and the earth.

Immediately afterwards, the steel-colored light flew up against the sun and flew straight to the center of all the ice and snow!

The dragon battle begins.

This is the end of memory, the true end of the life of the Steel Dragon Solstner.

Ian read them all completely, and the light and shadow of the flying memories of the fifth-level true dragon went straight into the depths of his soul. He exhaled deeply, and rows of ancient and scrawled subtitles appeared in front of his eyes.

[The people of future generations, no matter who they are, dragons or humans. Come here, pass the verification, restart the cradle, and get my successor]

【You will get my greatest wealth】

[My treasure, technology, kingdom, mountains, dreams...and my people]

This was the last message left by Qiang Steel Dragon before he left his dragon's nest and started the last dragon battle with Ice Meng Dragon.

He came to Terra on a mission, died for his own wishes, lived a fulfilling and satisfying life, and ended everything in the battle he longed for.

Solstner, Qiang Steel Dragon, Baisen Dragon God. These are His names.

Until his death, he had not found the truth behind the real dragon, nor had he fully discovered the secret of the legacy of the sky-falling spaceship.

But that’s not because He didn’t work hard, it’s just because He didn’t get the silver chip.

And now, four hundred years later, the holder of the silver chip has come to this ancient mountain range and stands on the top of the majestic holy mountain.

Take it over again, an unfulfilled dream.

Ian opened his eyes in reality, and silver-blue light shone in his eyes.

He felt that his body was filled with power, not because of the blessing of external sources, but because after purification and treatment, the stabilized physique tended to be perfect, releasing a more powerful and harmonious power than before.

The information about the 'Glimmer Cradle' and the results of the Steel Dragon Solstner's research on it also emerged in Ian's mind.

As Ian knows through the silver chip, the shimmering cradle is the 'fire preservation device' of the sky-falling spacecraft. Whether it is psychic energy, biology, computer hard drive, or anything that stores information in any form, it contains the essence of civilization. All can be saved through the internal 'quiet storage device'.

It is not that time is stopped, but that the source matter is used to create an etheric vacuum, which fixes the movement of every molecule and keeps the interior at near absolute zero - this is the most appropriate way of preservation.

However, due to the fall of the skyship, the energy system was destroyed, and the most heavily defended cradle system fell off and fell into the Baisen Mountains, embedded in the mountain.

Qianganglong solidified the mountain with his own power and transformed the entire Qiangang Mountain, charging it with the natural spiritual energy of this mountain range.

But it is a pity that many of the 'fire' stored in the Shimmer Cradle have been lost, and even Qiang Steel Dragon has not been able to find those traces.

Ian also regrets this very much - every fire, in a sense, contains all the ecological information of a civilization and even a planet. Terra's current rich ecology and environment may be the cradle of multiple glimmers of light. Mixed products caused by fire leakage.

If anything, Terra's current ecology is probably in line with a conjecture called the 'Gaia Planet'... This kind of planet can perfectly match the ecology required by any kind of creature, or it can help any kind of creature. Find a suitable place to live within it.

However, there is another very important function in the low-light cradle system.

It can analyze the information contained in any kind of fire, no matter what kind of creature it is, whether it is carbon-based, amino-based, sulfur-based, iron-based or even psychic, phantom, virtual, sub-entity, gaseous, and light creatures.

Whether it is a hive cluster, a mechanical gestalt, a psychic group, a true social life, or a society of division of labor and cooperation...

Any kind of fire left by any life or civilization, no matter how strange it is or how many times it has been encrypted, the Shimmer Cradle system can analyze it, extract and store its information.

This function is obviously designed by the civilization behind the sky-falling spacecraft to better preserve civilization information. It is a universal decryptor.

After all, the fire of some civilizations may not be well preserved, and can only be absorbed by the Tianzhui spacecraft, and then a stable one can be created by oneself.

The moment he saw this function, Ian's heart skipped a beat.

Perhaps others may lament the loss of Tinder and feel a bit amused by this feature - even if Tinder is gone, what is the purpose of extracting its information?

This is because they have no fire in their hands and will not get fire in the future, so they feel so sad.

But Ian knows that there are at least a few fire spacecraft in the South China Sea Labyrinth!

As a xenogeneic research base specializing in alien ecology, the fire in the Sequoia Base is stored in major ecological parks!

Although some of them may have been leaked, creating an ecology inside the Great Labyrinth that is completely different from the outside world, and also creating the situation of polymetal-based life around the Baisen Mountains... But the true nature of the fire is definitely still inside the Great Labyrinth!

Just take it out and store it in the shimmering cradle... The technology of this sky-falling spacecraft will completely extract and analyze it...

"I have an entire metal-based planet, all the information on biological ecology and even civilization?!"

——This is undoubtedly the most precious treasure in the cradle system!

Thinking of this, Ian's heart beat slightly.

Even though he has always been as calm as he is, he can't help but start to think about the future: "In this way, I don't have to worry about the storage of biological technology... As long as I can build the biological laboratory of Xiahui Ling, with Adebert With my help, all this will develop rapidly...I can even use this information to optimize the structure and potions of many bloodline true forms inheritance!"

Even the Immovable Fortress may not be perfect, Hilliard acknowledged.

He has been telling Ian that if there is a chance for Ian to improve Fufujiancheng in the future, then go ahead and do it. As an experimental heritage, his success is his genius, but his path may not be suitable for Yi. Well and others.

Ian was convinced that, for example, the third-level stone lord seemed to him to be too defensive and did not meet his requirements.

In order to match the high perception and high information acquisition brought by the fairy blood and the silver chip, his immovable city must have strong enough firepower pouring capabilities and high mobility... If anything, the maneuvers he saw in the imperial capital The fortress fits Ian's requirements very well.

The extremely solid steel air fortress, this is the future he wants.

However, there are so many things needed to improve inheritance, even Ian can only take one step at a time...and now, the opportunity is right in front of him!

This is something only Ian can do.

"but……"

After calming down, Ian sighed: "The laboratory must be built first - and the rebellion on the mountain people's side must be settled first to ensure the stability of the territory before we can accelerate development."

"As for now..."

Slowly walking down from the altar on the top of the mountain, Ian came to the edge of the top platform.

On the platform at the top of the Holy Mountain of Qiangang, the black altar was the dragon's nest of the Dragon God of Worship in the past, and the surrounding buildings were all high-rise towers and rock pillars used by the mountain people for sacrifice.

These ancient altars and totem poles were erected on the top of the mountains, reaching into the sky. Even now after the mountain people have weakened, they still boast to everyone about their past glory.

Ian stood on the edge of the mountain, overlooking the surroundings of the Holy Mountain.

The bright silver sacrificial fire was located behind him, shining with pure colors, and under the holy mountain and at the bottom of the long cliff, dense golden and red firelight spread all over the mouth of the gorge and around the foot of the mountain.

Many faces, thousands of faces of mountain people looked up at the mountain where the sacred fire was lit again. They shouted excitedly and made a sound like a mountain roaring and a tsunami.

Those were the mountain people from the Avod tribe. They were the closest and came here immediately to face the rekindled Holy Mountain.

Waiting for the arrival of the 'Dragon God Messenger'.

For a moment, the memory of Qiang Ganglong flashed through Ian's mind, and his blue eyes dropped. He glanced at everyone at the foot of the mountain. There were many faces. The faces of the ancestors of the mountain people and those of later generations overlapped, giving him a sense of wonder. A feeling of familiarity and strangeness.

And they were all shouting, chanting, and praying a word in unison. The young man on the top of the mountain couldn't hear these voices, but for some reason, Ian could know what they were talking about.

"Dragon God! Messenger!"

"Dragon God! Messenger!"

"Dragon God! Messenger!"

The messenger of the Dragon God stands on the top of the Holy Mountain of Qiang Steel, like a god with the sun on his back.

Thousands of torches gathered into the ocean, surrounded by the surging sacred fire, and the roar of the mountains was as powerful as a tsunami.

The eyes of the mountain people reflected the light of the sacrificial fire in the dark night, shining with ardent hope.

Those lights, those desires...

——It’s almost like a star.