The Red Dragon slithered slowly, and after a short moment, landed upon the crater of the volcano. It turned its head back to look at them, as if waiting.
Seeing this, Si He and the others hurriedly ran up.
Below the volcanic crater, where the Red Dragon's head hung down, was the very place where the dragons gathered.
Seeing Si He and the others approach, the lazy beasts looked at the Red Dragon, then rose and slid away, clearing a large open space.
The rocks on this open ground were all smooth and warm, forming a rather comfortable bed of gravel. It was clear the dragons had been lying on it for a very long time.
No telling how many years of friction had polished them.
Si He and her people carefully stepped into this area, looking around with a sense of novelty.
The spot where the dragons slept did not hurt their feet at all; instead, a sense of ancient, primitive comfort washed over them.
Gulp.
They couldn't help but swallow hard.
Being in such close proximity to these dragons made them incredibly nervous.
Clatter, clatter.
Loose stones rolled down from the volcano.
The tribespeople looked up. The Red Dragon's body coiled around the volcano as its winding head reached down toward them.
Their hearts clenched, and their breathing hitched slightly.
Seeing the Red Dragon stretch its head toward them once more, Si He immediately stepped forward. She did not reach out to touch it this time, but instead fell to her knees and kowtowed.
Seeing this, the tribespeople knelt and kowtowed along with her.
The Red Dragon watched this scene with great interest, its gaze settling on Si He.
Taking a soft breath, Si He spoke respectfully to the Red Dragon, “O Divine Dragon above, Ancestor of All Dragons, we implore your mercy. Please grant my tribe the privilege of offering worship for generations and serving at your side.”
With that, she kowtowed once more.
The tribespeople quickly followed.
“O Divine Dragon above, Ancestor of All Dragons, we implore your mercy. Please grant my tribe the privilege of offering worship for generations and serving at your side!” ×11
Their resonant voices reverberated across the green plains, drifting upon the wind.
Watching from not far away and seeing their utmost sincerity, the dragons exchanged looks and flicked their tongues.
Once the ritual was complete, Si He raised her head, her bright eyes fixed on the Red Dragon.
Seeing the bright, earnest gazes of these tribespeople, the Red Dragon couldn't help but show a look of satisfaction. Then, its gaze fell upon Si He once more.
Seeing it look at her again, Si He held her breath and tensed her body.
Her heart even slowed its beat.
However, the Red Dragon merely glanced at her before turning its head away.
Si He's heart tightened, but then she saw the Red Dragon stretch its head toward an adjacent cave, before glancing back at her as if signaling something.
Doubt filled her mind, and she experimentally stood up.
The Red Dragon's eyes grew even gentler and more satisfied. It was as if it were smiling as it gestured for her to enter the cave.
Si He was somewhat bewildered. But she could not disobey a deity's command. Since they had yet to obtain its formal approval, they had to put in their utmost effort and show absolute sincerity in whatever they did.
The pitch-black cave entrance emitted a faint red glow, looking somewhat ominous.
What could be inside?
Si He swallowed hard, took a step, and slowly walked toward the cave entrance.
Reaching the front of the cave, a blast of scorching air hit her in the face.
Her heart couldn't help but tighten slightly.
Even so, she braced herself, supported herself against the cave wall, and ventured inside.
As soon as she stepped inside, a vast and boundless aura rushed over her, washing through and cleansing her body.
This is... spiritual energy?!
Si He's pupils dilated as a sudden realization struck her. She lifted her head and peered deeper into the cave.
In the distance, a snowy white wall blocked the reddish glow of the magma.
Si He's breathing nearly froze. She widened her eyes in disbelief, staring blankly at that snow-white, lustrous wall. Her body moved forward uncontrollably.
A wild, audacious thought bloomed in her mind.
Her heart couldn't help but thud wildly.
One step, two steps...
Only when she drew closer did she finally see what that snow-white wall truly was.
It was actually an incredibly massive dragon head!
Fine, dense scales covered the dragon's forehead, facing her directly.
A vast sea of spiritual energy surged forth, churning, rushing, and sweeping through the cave as it flooded into her body.
Her hair drifted upward, and every pore in her body dilated, greedily devouring this long-lost spiritual energy.
The side effects accumulated within her body quickly dissipated.
This was truly a dragon!
A colossal dragon!
A dragon that, merely by being near, caused a boundless sea of spiritual energy to surge!
Si He could hardly believe it.
Her heart pounded wildly, and her body couldn't help but tremble slightly.
Her emotions surged within her chest, and a rosy flush painted her cheeks.
“Could it be...?”
Recalling the Red Dragon outside and looking at the immense, majestic figure before her, her mind raced with excitement.
“Is this the true Ancestor of All Dragons, the hidden Dragon God?”
“Those dragons weren't gathering around the Red Dragon, but rather around this cave to pay homage to the Dragon God?”
At this thought, her heart swelled even more, her eyes flashing with a brilliant light.
“A deity without a tribe to serve them!”
“A forgotten deity of the ancient dragon race!”
She knew exactly what this meant. It meant that once they successfully established their worship, their tribe would rise at lightning speed and dominate the peak of the Great Wilderness.
“We must make the first move!”
She made her decision instantly.
“Once we secure its protection through our offerings, we will have nothing left to fear!”
“Every danger, every obstacle will vanish like smoke!”
With her eyes shining, she walked step by step toward the lustrous white Dragon God.
Outside the cave, the tribespeople were filled with curiosity. What was inside? Why hadn't their Chieftainess come out after so long?
The Red Dragon was no longer paying any attention to them either. It simply hung its long body over the volcano, stretching its neck to peer inside the cave.
The surrounding dragons also gathered around, completely ignoring the humans as they all craned their necks to peer into the cave.
Unfortunately, the Red Dragon's head was too massive, blocking most of the entrance. The other dragons could only jostle and squeeze against one another to peer through the remaining gaps.
This bizarre behavior only heightened the tribespeople's curiosity.
They exchanged glances before finally looking at Yan Shou.
Yan Shou experimentally stood up; none of the dragons paid him any mind.
So, he walked toward the cave.
Seeing this, Si Yun followed.
Si Cang quickly followed as well.
The rest of the tribespeople did not move, quietly waiting outside.
The three of them walked together, carefully drawing close to the Red Dragon. They crouched down, craned their necks, and tried to peer inside as well.
“Hiss!”
The displeased sounds of the dragons rang out, and the three of them quickly huddled together, feeling quite intimidated by the restless crowd of dragons.
This disturbance drew the Red Dragon's attention.
It turned its head in confusion, only to see the three of them sitting slumped on the ground, with countless other dragons craning their necks behind them.
“...”
The Red Dragon remained silent for a moment, then gestured for the three of them to stretch their heads and look inside with it. The surrounding dragons fell quiet as well.
The three of them looked at it in surprise. Hesitantly stepping forward, they carefully craned their necks to look inside, doing their best to leave plenty of space for the dragons behind them.
The Red Dragon also noticed it was hogging too much of the space. It retracted its head slightly, keeping its gaze barely peered inside.
Inside the volcanic cave, by the ledge.
Si He stood there, staring in shock at this lustrous, snow-white dragon body.
Half of its body was submerged in the boiling magma, while the other half completely filled the crimson-lit volcanic crater.
Its massive head was wedged right at the ledge.
Its frost-white mane drifted and fluttered in the rising, hot steam.
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