“Hmm... though my view is a bit different from yours.” Noah was silent for a moment, seemingly organizing his thoughts.
“Even though Carlos never did on-site research on dragon souls, I don't think controlling an adult dragon with Saint Rank strength is easy.” Noah spoke slowly, his tone cautious. “To achieve such an effect, one must have an overwhelming advantage in soul power. Little Star, you understand what I mean, right?”
“You mean it takes the strength of a Half-God to reach this level?” Starlight replied in his mind, his brow furrowing slightly.
If the opponent really had Half-God level power, things were far more complicated than they imagined.
“Yes, but Half-Gods aren't exactly common as cabbages on the street. Under the influence of the world's rules, it's basically impossible for a true Half-God to appear in this era. Furthermore, if they truly had the strength of a Half-God, would they need to go through all this trouble to control puppets to stop you? Wouldn't it be easier to just step out and deal with you directly?”
Starlight was startled.
Noah's analysis made a lot of sense.
“So you mean... they might not have the strength of a Half-God, but used some special method?” Starlight pressed.
“Something like that.” Noah's voice echoed in Starlight's mind. “But we can't rule out the possibility of a traitor within the Dragon Race. Otherwise, it's hard to imagine Yuta and those guys from the Crimson City-State could achieve this on their own. You have to realize that dragon power isn't so easily suppressed.”
After hearing Noah's analysis, Starlight immediately relayed the idea to Yserazor. Of course, he used his own tone: “Yserazor, I was thinking... is it possible there's a problem within the Dragon Race itself?”
A strange look flashed in Yserazor's golden eyes.
He was silent for a moment, then sighed deeply. “Sigh, a traitor in the Dragon Race? To be honest, I can't give you much insight on that...”
He scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed. “I've never really cared about the management of the clan. Even the Green Clan, which is under my jurisdiction, is usually left to its own devices. The other Dragon Kings are much more responsible than I am...”
At this point, Yserazor's expression suddenly changed as if he had realized something. “Wait! If that's the case... isn't Frost-Glow in danger? Ikana is her right hand!”
His voice carried an unprecedented urgency, and the space around him began to warp slightly.
Starlight could clearly feel that this normally nonchalant Dragon King was truly panicking now.
“We must go to the Dragon Nest immediately!” Yserazor stood up abruptly. His round body expanded rapidly in front of Starlight, returning to his dragon form. “If even Frost-Glow has run into trouble, then the entire Dragon Race...”
He couldn't finish his sentence because, at that moment, the restrained Ikana let out a heart-wrenching howl.
To everyone's horror, his body, covered in death energy, began to swell at a visible rate. The grey death energy surged frantically.
The spatial barrier that had been binding him tightly was instantly cracked by the exploding power.
“This is bad! He's going to self-destruct!”
Yserazor barked, flapping his wings forward. A spatial barrier instantly enveloped everyone.
Almost simultaneously, a deafening explosion shook the sky. A violent energy shockwave swept through the surroundings, turning trees within a radius of hundreds of meters to dust in an instant.
A self-destruction using an adult dragon as a vessel was far more powerful than when they had fought the elf death slaves.
Even with the protection of the spatial barrier, Starlight and the others could still feel the world-ending power.
When the dust from the explosion gradually cleared, the sight before them made everyone gasp.
Yserazor's massive dragon body was half-kneeling on the ground. Golden dragon blood slowly seeped from the corner of his mouth, shining brilliantly under the sunlight.
His emerald-like scales were covered in fine cracks. It was clear that the self-destruction had caused him significant harm.
“Cough...” Yserazor coughed lightly, pain flashing in his golden eyes. Since he was currently in his dragon form, his massive body had actually absorbed more of the impact.
Fortunately, he had been prepared. At the moment of the explosion, spatial power had formed a tight protective shield, sealing out the lethal death energy.
Now, the residual death energy attempting to corrode his body was being stripped away bit by bit by the silver spatial power, making a tooth-gritting sizzling sound.
Starlight's gaze moved past Yserazor toward the center of the explosion. A massive crater nearly a hundred meters in diameter had appeared in the forest. Wisps of black smoke were still rising from the bottom of the pit, which was dozens of meters deep.
“This power...” Po Kong swallowed hard. “If anyone took a direct hit from that, there wouldn't even be scraps left.”
Moen stepped forward quickly, the power of nature gathering in her hands as she applied it to Yserazor's body. “Rift Dragon King, are you alright? Please let me treat you.”
Yserazor waved a dragon claw and slowly straightened up. Golden blood could be seen dripping from his jaw, leaving several striking streaks on his dark green scales.
“A wound like this won't kill me, but we must change our plans now. If something really happened to Frost-Glow and the Blue Clan, we can't head to the Dragon Nest so openly.”
As he spoke, he lowered his massive head, his golden vertical pupils scanning everyone's faces with unprecedented seriousness. “Given the current situation, I must borrow your strength.”
Yserazor's claws scratched restlessly at the ground, leaving behind deep furrows.
“Of course, if you are unwilling to get involved in the internal affairs of the Dragon Race, you can leave now. I won't blame you for your choice.”
Starlight and his companions exchanged a single glance and immediately understood each other's thoughts.
Po Kong was the first to step forward, patting Little Gold on the shoulder. “Are you kidding? Since we've come this far, there's no reason to tuck tail and run!”
He grinned, showing his signature cocky smile. “Besides, I wouldn't feel right letting you take Little Gold to such a dangerous place alone.”
Xia Duo added calmly, “If something has happened to the Dragon Race, it's a threat to the entire continent. Not to mention our kin have already entered Dragon Valley; I cannot simply ignore this.”
Moen didn't speak, still focused on treating Yserazor's wounds. Sensing everyone's gaze, she simply nodded slightly.
“So it's settled then. Lian, why don't you stay in Yserazor's cave? The next part of the mission is a bit too dangerous for you,” Starlight said softly, looking down at Lian.
“Then it's settled.”
Starlight looked around at everyone, then finally looked down at Lian, who was still clutching his sleeve. His voice softened instinctively. “Lian, why don't you stay in Yserazor's cave? The next part of the mission might be too dangerous for you.”
“No! I'm going too!” Lian looked up abruptly, her slender fingers clenching into fists so tight her knuckles turned pale. A determined light shone in her silver eyes. “I am the leader of the Night Elves. It is my responsibility to fight alongside everyone!”
To be honest, Starlight was very conflicted. On one hand, he didn't want Lian to get involved in this conflict again, but he also didn't feel safe leaving her here alone.
If another controlled adult dragon like Ikana appeared, the few barriers outside Yserazor's cave wouldn't be enough to stop them.
“Big Brother Starlight...” Seeing him remain silent, Lian gently tugged at his sleeve.
Starlight sighed deeply and knelt on one knee to look her in the eye. “Fine... but you have to promise me not to push yourself. If there's danger, I'll send you away immediately. Understood?”
“I... I understand!” Lian nodded vigorously.
Starlight ruffled her soft hair and turned to Yserazor. “Could you give Lian a spatial marker? That way, we can teleport her away instantly in an emergency.”
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