High Above

Dragon's Flame. Almost bound to the real dragon, the legendary flame that is incombustible.

In many legends on the land of Terra, although true dragons have different shapes, different abilities and postures, they all have the ability to spit out some kind of dragon fire. Any mortal creature will be affected by that power beyond human imagination. It was burned up and turned into dust.

This legend is not correct. In other words, it's not entirely correct.

True dragons do have the power to breathe, but they are not limited to flames. In fact, it is not uncommon to see true dragons that breathe frost, dissociated magnetic light, high-speed particle beams, and even some kind of physical cannonballs. They are even completely connected to the breath. The opposite 'supergravitational engulfment' and 'magnetic pull' both exist.

The only thing that is the same is that most creatures that face the power of the true dragon's breath find it difficult to tell others about the characteristics they observe.

Because most of them have turned into ashes and can no longer speak human words.

Xio's Void Realm Flame originated from the poison of the Void Demon that he had endured. It has extremely strong spiritual corrosion and mental destructive power. The outer layer of the flame is translucent but the inner layer is mixed with some scarlet flame patterns. It spurted out in mid-air and shot directly at Cord's back.

In his heart, Coder was furiously cursing the information about the Flying Flame Land - who told him that the Mountain King's children had no fighting ability and were even dragged down by the other party? Although the opponent's attack is straight forward and there is no experience in predicting it in advance, it is surprisingly powerful!

He could only jump forward and crawl on the ground, narrowly avoiding Xio's breath.

Just being brushed by the flames of the virtual realm, the mountain chief couldn't help but feel startled. He felt that his memory and reason were fading rapidly... Fortunately, he was at the third energy level, so he returned to normal in just an instant.

If he is hit directly... As a 'soul-purifying tree' with similar abilities, he may not die, but most of his mind will be burned out, and he will become a mentally retarded person who can only move around!

Might as well die!

"run!"

Cord didn't hesitate. His body lying on the ground rolled forward like a ball, then he stood up and ran away in large strides.

The most correct choice. In a two-on-one battle with a real dragon and a walking human who is suspected of being a real dragon, Cord doesn't feel like he is an invincible hero who is victorious in all battles. What is there to fight for in a situation where he is bound to lose?

You must run when you should run, otherwise you will die!

In front of Cord was a steep cliff on the edge of the Steel Dragon's Lair Mountains, and under the cliff was a dense forest. He could just speed down the cliff and hide in the forest, and he could use the terrain to escape quickly.

But how could Ian let the other person go?

In order to deal with a third-level person head-on, Ian basically used all his cards, whether it was rock-cast knights, ether crystals, ancient dragon cores or the recently developed 'Elementium Furnace System' or even the assistance of computing units. , all have been used.

And after seeing all this, Coder must die today.

"Want to escape?"

Ian raised his left hand, and the ether crystal and the ancient dragon's heart core were working at the same time. With a violent heartbeat, he threw out the Chongyuan Iron Sword in his hand.

The first-level source of energy can only strengthen the body in the body, turning flesh and blood into steel, which can resist most damage. As long as it is not a high-power weapon such as an alchemical artillery, ordinary guns and cannons are meaningless, while the second-level source of energy echoes Naturally, every move can cause changes in surrounding phenomena, ignite fire, condense ice, and lift rock walls. One person is an armed fortress.

But the third energy level, or in other words, the source material condensed to the third energy level, its existence itself is no different from the strongest and densest substance. It is comparable to ultra-high-strength nano-alloys. Coupled with the Heart Light Shield, even if you face the bombardment of an entire alchemy artillery position and strategic weapons alone, you can remain unscathed, with at most a small impact.

However, in a battle of the same level, except for the sublimated ones who specialize in defense and have elementium armor, no one will forcefully attack the enemy's weapons containing elementium.

Because the extremely pure source of matter is already close to the 'original ether' that is a mixture of source of matter and spiritual energy, it has direct interference and destructive power to the heart light shield, and can destroy the protective stance of the third energy level strong person. .

And losing the heart light shield will make many attacks that were not fatal originally become deadly.

For example, this sword.

The Chongyuan Iron Sword, which contained almost all of Ian's essence, compressed and pushed away all the surrounding air, forming a twisted vacuum stream. It howled beyond the sound and pulled out a vacuum blasting channel visible to the naked eye in mid-air. , the aftermath continued to spread in all directions, and half of the clouds in the sky were blasted away, revealing a cylindrical hole.

The black flying sword went straight forward and penetrated Cod's left shoulder mercilessly. The huge force knocked Cod down the moment it hit, and his body smashed a huge semicircular hole on the ground.

The chief of the mountain people was pressed to the bottom of the pit with a muffled groan, half of his body was almost shattered by the shock, and he was completely unable to move.

However, the body of light appeared all over the severely injured Cod.

The wooden roots spread out of thin air, forcibly taking over the body that was temporarily unable to move, and using the power of the mind to force the body that was almost at a standstill to move again.

This is the power of the third level. Their will will become reality, their belief is their shield, their belief is the indestructible edge - even death cannot kill them temporarily. Before the mind light body completely dissipates, even the corpse, It can also exert incredible power.

Gritting his teeth, Cord slowly stood up. He wanted to leave, he couldn't die here.

But with another extremely sharp scream, the steel-patterned sword flew with slightly weaker momentum than before, cutting off Cord's right leg.

Cord, who had just stood up, fell to the ground again - even though his Heart Light Body could transform from virtual reality to form a new right leg, he had no time.

The dragon shadow and the human figure descended in front of him at the same time.

——Failed.

This word flashed through Coder's mind, and he knew clearly that he had no chance of making a comeback. Ian can face him head-on alone, and with a real dragon that is probably as powerful as or even surpasses him, the possibility of him winning the battle is zero, and there is a glimmer of hope in escaping.

But now, escape is no longer possible, and he is destined to die here, under the steel dragon's nest.

Well... dying in the Holy Land can't be considered a bad ending.

Thinking of this, Kod even felt a little relieved. His originally prostrate body turned around and lay on his back at the bottom of the pit, looking at the top of the steel dragon's nest in the distance with somewhat absent-minded eyes.

There, the endless rain clouds gathered together with the natural source matter in the entire Baisen Mountains, building a huge psychic field, making the sky full of thunder intertwined like a net.

Magnificent and magnificent.

"It's pretty good."

He said softly, turning his head slightly and looking at Ian who was already standing beside him: "Although I don't understand why you are so strong, I probably know why that guy Manya trusts you so much and even helps you sit down. He is truly called the 'Messenger of the Dragon God'."

"What a pity." Blood with fragments of internal organs flowed out of the corner of Coder's mouth, but his words were still clear and clear, with a hint of regret: "It would have been nice if I had known you earlier... With someone like you who is beyond common sense. With the help of genius... we mountain people will surely be able to truly control our own destiny."

"Your conditions are too bad."

Ian shook his head. He saw that Cord's life was irreversibly passing by. Even his Heart Light Body was taken back by him, and he completely gave up resistance: "Even if you knew me earlier and became friends with me, the most I can do is Now I will destroy all your sublimation organs, spare your life, and let you live in anonymity for the rest of your life. For the third energy level, it is more uncomfortable than death, isn't it?"

"What's more, there are too many mistakes and omissions in what you have done. The Jiamu tribe enslaved other tribes to serve themselves. This makes destroying you itself an opportunity to reunite the mountain people as a whole. For me and the mountain people, Jambu is doomed.”

"...But in this narrow mountainous area of ​​Nanling, how can I strengthen myself if I don't compete for the resources of other tribes?"

Cord's eyes have begun to blur. He still has a lot of unwillingness in his heart, as well as endless regret and anger. But at this moment, the first thing that the man recalled in his heart was the expectations that his mother and teacher had for him.

——He wants to become the Dragon God’s messenger.

The Dragon God Messenger is an existence that can lead all the mountain people to reunite and make them great again.

But he didn't believe the dragon god's messenger.

No one can reunite the many mountain tribes that have been dispersed by the empire and separated by various autonomous regions and colonies through various means... The excessive population requires each tribe to firmly occupy its own territory. Dig resources from the land and supply them to the empire in exchange for enough food to survive.

Even if their own rations are not enough, how can the mountain people have the courage and opportunity to resist the empire? And with such limited resources, if they don't accept the support of Feiyandi, and if they don't completely destroy the inherent structure of the mountain people in the Baisen Mountains, even if the Dragon God's messenger really appears, how can he reunify the mountain people and prosper again?

Cord doesn't believe in the legend of the Dragon Messenger, but he has always tried to be that kind of hero.

At the very least, he wants to become Jiamube's hero.

The mountain people don't need other tribes, they only need the Jiamu tribe... As long as they accept the resources of Feiyan Land, launch a rebellion, and destroy the food sources of other mountain people, they can use the resources to rule a large part of the mountain people tribes and establish a temporary 'League of Independent Mountain Men'.

Then, through the war with the empire and other mountain people, we can distinguish between 'you' and 'us', and while dividing the mountain people internally, they can also truly absorb some of the mountain people into their own power.

And next... As long as the plan succeeds and Feiyandi severely damages the imperial forces of Nauman City and Nanling in the next plan, then the mountain people will have the ability to be truly independent!

Even if the mountain people will collapse during this process, half or even most of the population will die... but Jiamubu will absorb the blood of other mountain people tribes, accept the support of Feiyandi, and grow rapidly, and then become synonymous with all mountain people. .

When all the mountain people tribes become part of the Jiamu tribe, the mountain people will be unified.

——This is not the Dragon God’s messenger.

This is just an ordinary, despicable political speculator, a "mountain traitor" who betrays his compatriots in order to gain strength for his side.

In Cord's dream, the mountain people alliance he wanted to create was a sacrifice for his tribe from the beginning, and its existence was a stepping stone for the growth of the Jiamu tribe. He knew this, knew that he was evil and despicable, but he did it without any hesitation.

But now, everything is reversed.

As Ian said, Cord knew very well that when he, the third level, died, the destruction of Jiamubu would become an opportunity for the other party to unite other mountain people who were persecuted by Jiamubu.

And Ian can use the body of his 'evil man' to become the messenger of the Dragon God who is more recognized by the mountain people?

--so now.

——Am I a sacrifice instead?

"But this is the only way I can think of it."

Reality was completely opposite to the dream, and it was so ironic that Coder couldn't help but want to laugh. He smiled bitterly, and murmured to himself as he walked toward death: "I have read few books...I really can't think of any other way..."

"Ian... you are a famous genius in the imperial capital. Even Feiyandi knows your reputation - you may really have a way to guide the mountain people to prosper again."

"Instead of being like me and letting them become the sacrifices of your dreams?"

Cord stared at Ian, he wanted to wait for an answer, an answer that he couldn't think of or answer.

"I haven't read the book...yeah."

After a moment of silence, Ian sighed. He pulled out his two swords from the enemy's body and brought up a large pile of blood: "If everyone can learn from the mistakes of history and be familiar with book knowledge... …Many mistakes may have been avoided.”

"I do have a way. In my eyes, the mountain people are not sacrifices, but useful tools and necessary materials. Just like myself, they are the same."

"So now, let me lend you my head."

The dragon god's messenger swung his sword and beheaded Chief Cod without hesitation.

A third-level powerhouse died.

Even though there were all kinds of regrets and pain in his heart, Kede Jiamu did not resist. He faced death calmly and died under the Steel Dragon's Nest, the holy land of the mountain people.

Ian took off his head and hung it on his waist, then turned his head and looked at Xiou, who had been silent and watching all of this seriously, and the red-haired dragon girl with a familiar appearance on Xiou's true body. .

"Xio, your female body is stronger than that of a male."

Ian raised his brows, glanced at Xio's body, and then at the red-haired dragon girl. He could see this at a glance: "The male only has the first energy level, but the female has... close to the third energy level. The strength! If you rely on the heart light body, you also have the strength of the third level."

[After all, it has been used for decades, so it must be cultivated to be stronger]

In good health, Xio responded with a hearty smile, with a proficient air of 'after graduating from the trumpet, then open the next trumpet'.

The head of the former 'Deformed Dragon', which was no longer ferocious, turned slightly, and the golden dragon eyes focused on Ian, curiously saying: [Ian, your strength...ah, I shouldn't ask this, my mother said But, whatever you say, we will admit it】

"Then I really have to thank the King of the Mountain for his thoughtfulness."

Ian couldn't help but laugh. In fact, the reason why he ended the battle so quickly was precisely because Xio's entry prevented him from exposing the power related to the Fortress.

Everything else is easy to talk about and can be explained. At most, it can be attributed to the dragon-transformation organ and the Holy Land's blessing to the Dragon God's messenger.

But it would be terrible if news about Fudo Castle were leaked from Xio.

It must be said that Ian gained a lot of precious information from the battle with Cord.

On the opponent, Ian could be said to have almost used all the means except armor, and tried his best to draw a tie with a third-level person - Terra's way of sublimation is really It's quite solid. Ian has so many tricks, and it's very difficult to skip levels. It can even be said that he may not be able to beat it.

But on the other hand, if such a strict system can be transformed and rejuvenated with new vitality... it will indeed be a 'big event' that can change the social structure of Terra!

Ian glanced at the body of Cord Jiamu at the bottom of the pit. He waved his hand, and the surrounding rainwater gathered into a stream, carrying the surrounding rainwater slurry and covering the pit.

As time goes by, a soul-purifying tree may once again grow on this land, and on the shores of this holy mountain, it will become the material for many who come after to pursue their dreams.

This may also be the final ending that is almost universal for all plant-type sublimates.

"Let's go, Xio."

Ian didn't say much. Kod Jiamu was indeed a strong enemy, but he was not the real final BOSS. Capturing the opponent's head was only the first step. He still had many things to do next.

[Naturally.] Xio nodded slightly. The mechanical wing on his right side dropped down, and there was even a ladder-like structure on it: [Where are we going? 】

"To the Borough of Frodo."

Ian climbed up the stairs and stood beside the dragon girl. With steady and rhythmic vibrations, the dragon flapped its wings and took off.

He raised his hand and pointed into the distance with a calm but firm tone: "We are going there to stop the civil war among the mountain people. Cord's head will become the reason for the truce. They will all be part of my power in the future and cannot continue to bleed."

"Peace must come whether they want it or not."

【......Ian】

Xio actually didn't get along with the boy for too long. He only became slightly interested in this extraordinary 'individual' because of his dragon blood and later reputation as a genius - and then Ian helped him get out of Ah He escaped from the Wack Laboratory and allowed him to cure his void toxin distortion, all of which were crucial help.

True Dragon wants to better understand his friends so that he can better help them in the future.

So He asked: "Do you really want to become the co-owner of the mountain people?" In the past hundreds of years, many mountain people wanted to take this road, but most of them failed because of the empire, because of the mountain people themselves, because of insufficient resources, because of insufficient land... I heard what Coder said, although he is a The bad guy has never read a book, but even if he reads, it’s hard to find a solution to the problem]

[Moreover, when you settle the disputes between the mountain people, you become a thorn in Feiyandi's side! They will definitely do whatever it takes to inspire the extremely independent faction among the mountain people to assassinate you, or even personally use force to obliterate you! 】

Xiou objectively told the truth. He wanted to know where the young man's ambition was going, and whether he and his mother needed help in the name of a true dragon or the Dragon Worship Cult.

And Ian gave Him the answer.

“Nothing currently available can solve the ‘present dilemma’. Only ‘future technology’ can solve the ‘present dilemma’.”

"Only new things that have never appeared before can solve old problems that have been accumulated for a long time. Although technology cannot solve all difficulties, without new technologies, the dilemma is a desperate situation."

Turning his head, Ian smiled and said: "Xio, if you are really curious, I hope you can stay in Xiahui Territory and witness with your own eyes what I will bring to the mountain people, the Baisen Mountains, and the Nanling Province. changes."

Xio's dragon girl prosthetic body was slightly startled. She blinked and smiled: "Okay. But I have to tell my mother."

--good! Finally, I can leave the dragon's nest in an honest manner! Xiou thought about it and felt happy in his heart.

And, once you get to know Ian, you can ask him if you can use his face to make a new prosthetic body!

--very good! If the territory is protected by a third-level true dragon, then many things can be explained. Ian thought.

There is no third level on the surface, and there are still relatively few things that Xiahui Leader can do, but if it is related to the real dragon, especially if Xionai is the descendant of the Mountain King, then any drastic changes that will happen are nothing more than ' It's just a real dragon's technology, it's not a big deal.

"As for Feiyandi, there are other extreme independent mountain people, so I'm not worried."

Turning his head, Ian looked at the flowing clouds in front of him that were constantly sweeping backwards - Xio was very fast, and it seemed that he would be able to reach the Frodo Autonomous Region in a short time: "What they have is nothing more than the simplest Violence. And the way to deal with violence is nothing more than greater violence, stronger barriers and more powerful weapons."

At this moment, the inheritor of Fudo City said calmly: "If we really get to that point."

"I believe that I am the one who stands firm."