Chapter 28: The Little Dragon Hatchling, Thunderstruck

Ming Shuang froze for a moment, then abruptly whipped his head around and flew back to Xuzhi’s side. He burrowed into his arms, trying to hide.

Xuzhi scooped up the little dragon hatchling and peered toward the front of the woods.

Once he got a clear look at Xiang Lun’s face—especially those deep blue eyes—Xuzhi felt a slight weight settle in his chest.

Yesterday, after learning about Ming Shuang’s possible background, he had considered that family might be here. But he hadn’t expected them to show up so soon.

This man’s features did bear some resemblance to the one in the pendant’s portrait.

Still, the age gap was too great to be sure if it was the same person or another relative.

Xuzhi could tell that Xiang Lun was very powerful—at least 9th Tier.

The snow fox was probably his magical beast. The technique it had used earlier to help out seemed to be… space magic.

Xuzhi immediately recalled the card pool Ming Shuang had once mentioned to him.

Only space magic could construct a place like that.

The Little Dragon hatchling in his arms had tucked himself inside his jacket. His breathing came quick and shallow, as if frightened, but he couldn’t resist prying open a gap in the fabric to sneak a peek.

Father’s father… what would that be?

Grandpa?

That was his… grandpa.

Ming Shuang silently repeated the unfamiliar word in his mind, staring blankly at Xiang Lun.

Xiang Lun glanced their way too, but all he could see was Xuzhi and Tomato ahead of the snow fox.

He gave Xuzhi a quick once-over, scanned the chaotic scene around them, and frowned deeply. “What’s going on here? Nuomi?”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than one of the fluffy balls charged straight at him. Ming Shuang hurriedly let out a cry. “Awoo!”

The fluffy ball veered sharply in midair, landing on the grass before scampering back to Ming Shuang along with the others.

Worried that Xiang Lun and the snow fox might get caught in the crossfire, Ming Shuang simply called off the fluffy plushies entirely.

Most of those humans from before were already down anyway.

Once the fluffy plushies halted their assault, the chaos around them finally died down.

A number of people rushed to help their companions with treatment and fell back to safer ground. Others had kept their distance from the start and avoided the guardian beasts’ notice; now they edged forward warily, eyeing Xiang Lun. “Who is he? He looks kind of familiar…”

Time was short. Xiang Lun had no patience to sort out what had happened here. Seeing that things had quieted a bit, he raised his voice. “The Element River outside has been tainted by miasma fog. Set aside whatever else is pressing and follow me out.”

“What? Miasma fog…”

“I told you that river was dangerous. We shouldn’t have crossed it carelessly. Now we’re done for!”

“What do we do? Has the miasma fog erupted? Are we trapped?”

The crowd erupted in murmurs. Some even challenged Xiang Lun. “And how did you get in? If I remember right, you weren’t in yesterday’s group.”

Almost everyone had been forcibly sent in by those two Earth Element beast tamers yesterday. They’d all gathered together, and Xiang Lun’s age made him stand out—no one could have missed him.

Xiang Lun had no time for explanations. With a raise of his hand, a wall of air materialized beside him.

The “wall” slowly tore open, revealing the Element River beyond the woods.

The river, already dull and lifeless before, had turned even blacker. Swirling mists churned within it like thick storm clouds.

“It’s definitely miasma fog. We’re finished…”

“Wait—this is space magic!”

“I remember now! That’s Dean Xiang from Lobe Academy!”

At that moment, a joyful voice rang out from deeper in the woods.

“Dean Xiang!”

“Woo woo, Dean…”

Four students who had snuck out of the academy had found their way here too, but they’d hung back at a safe distance, observing without getting hurt.

They hurried forward, only to receive a fierce glare from Xiang Lun.

“You lot have some nerve, skipping class to come to a place like this. You’ll face punishment when we get back!” He dismissed the magic showing the Element River and called out again. “Nuomi? Help me set up the array.”

The students shrank back like frightened quails. The others calmed down as well.

Space magic was exceptionally rare and unique. Even with the innate talent for it, forming a beast contract with a magical beast that also wielded it was no sure thing.

Even if one managed that feat, advancing it to high ranks was incredibly difficult.

Yet Xiang Lun was just such a rarity. A century ago, he and his own magical beast, the White Day Fox, had broken through to Saint Domain 10th Tier together.

He had once served as dean of Lobe Academy in Central City. Though now vice dean, he remained one of the most esteemed beast tamers around.

No one would dare impersonate him, let alone question him.

With him here, his space magic would surely lead them all out.

Of course, Xiang Lun was probably stepping in because Lobe Academy students were present.

One man brightened and rushed up. “Dean Xiang, it’s me! I graduated from Lobe Academy, Class of ’64, third cohort…”

Xiang Lun didn’t even glance at him. “Since you’re here, I won’t let you die.”

He sat cross-legged on the spot and called out once more. “Nuomi?”

The miasma fog in the Element River wouldn’t linger long—it could spread at any moment. And this place was crawling with beast tamers’ magical beasts.

Leaving as quickly as possible was the priority. Xiang Lun had no attention to spare for anything else.

The snow fox had lingered near this stranger, which puzzled it. It gave Xuzhi a few extra looks.

Who was this guy?

The snow fox glanced at Xiang Lun, then twisted its head toward the hiding Ming Shuang. In the end, it trotted back to Xiang Lun.

It figured Ming Shuang had never met Xiang Lun before and couldn’t accept him right away after such a short time.

Not with all these people around, either… They could talk after handling this.

The snow fox returned to Xiang Lun’s side, nuzzled his arm, and settled onto the grass.

Xiang Lun had entered through a passage the snow fox had opened for him. But teleporting out not just himself and his beast, but everyone here—that was a whole different challenge. He had to do it without disturbing the Element River.

By now, nearly all the beast tamer teams that had entered the mountaintop were gathered nearby. Xiang Lun roughly tallied the numbers and decided on batches.

He formed hand seals, and the space over the grass before him began to warp and twist.

From afar, Ming Shuang kept stealing glances at Xiang Lun.

He still didn’t know Ming Shuang was here. The snow fox had spotted him first, and then there were those students…

Lobe Academy… dean? Was that impressive?

So the snow fox was called Nuomi. Ming Shuang thought that if it were him, he’d probably name it something like that too.

He had overheard about the Element River’s miasma pollution and felt some worry. He wanted to get a little closer.

But there were too many people around. It wasn’t convenient…

Xiang Lun’s brows furrowed slightly as he quickly reinforced and shaped the previous passage.

Naturally, the students went first.

With their magical beasts, they made a neat group of four. Before entering the space magic, one mumbled timidly. “Dean, we know we were wrong…”

Xiang Lun snapped irritably. “Get lost—now!”

The student clamped his mouth shut and stepped into the open passage with the others.

The passage sealed, then whisked them away in an instant.

Confirming all was well and the Element River undisturbed, Xiang Lun exhaled in relief and immediately reopened the passage.

This space magic resembled a teleportation array, but it was too hastily made to reuse. Each time required fresh reinforcement.

In this brief interval, everyone’s thoughts varied.

One beast tamer approached first, pulling a pouch of gold coins from his storage ring. “Dean Xiang, you’ve gone to great trouble. This is a small token from me…”

At a time like this, everyone wanted out fast—and who left first was entirely up to Xiang Lun.

The second passage had opened. Xiang Lun kept his eyes closed. “In!”

He didn’t even glance at the pouch, too annoyed to speak more. The beast tamer, thinking he’d succeeded, set the money bag on the grass and led his magical beast into the passage.

Seeing this, the others followed suit.

“Dean Xiang, this is a century-old ginseng root I’ve treasured…”

“I’ve got twenty high-rank magic stones here!”

“Dean, I just mined some rare ore the other day…”

Xiang Lun found their chatter grating, his expression souring. “I don’t need it! Shut up!”

Even so, with their lives in his hands once they entered the space magic, no one dared slack off. They still left their offerings before departing.

No one dared attack Xiang Lun or hold him hostage, either.

Space magic might lack the raw destructive power of fire or lightning elements, but it was formidable in its own right—elusive, unpredictable, more like a rule of suppression than brute elemental force.

In any case, the crowd quieted and obeyed, still eagerly offering supplies.

Those slyly trying to cut in line earned a glare from the snow fox and fell in behind meekly.

Xuzhi watched the scene unfold but held back for now.

Yet another beast tamer, just before entering the passage, leaned in and whispered to Xiang Lun. “Dean Xiang, be careful of that guy over there. He’s acting all shifty and suspicious. Who knows what trick he used to control the guardian beasts in the Dragon Clan Ruins. I say we leave him behind…”

At the mention of “Dragon Clan Ruins,” Xiang Lun’s eyes snapped open. He looked toward Xuzhi.

Xuzhi stood in place, surrounded by a cluster of fluffy plushies. His black outer robe obscured most of his face and build, revealing little. A red bird magical beast perched nearby.

The snow fox had been near this man when it first arrived…

As Xiang Lun pondered, the snow fox overheard the beast tamer’s words and flew into a rage.

Its purple eyes turned icy. With a swipe of its paw through the air, three deep gashes appeared on the beast tamer’s face.

The little dragon was still with that man. No matter who he was, he counted as “family” now.

“Ah!” The beast tamer clutched his face with a cry of pain. Seeing the snow fox glaring at him, he had no idea what had offended the creature.

He didn’t dare say another word. Instead, he turned and hurried into the passage.

Ming Shuang had been quietly observing all the while. Finally, he couldn’t hold back any longer and poked his head out from inside Xuzhi’s jacket.

With a swift leap, he dropped to the ground and darted behind one of the fluffy plushies. From there, he inched forward bit by bit.

The fluffy plushies remained perfectly still and obedient. Ming Shuang squeezed his way to the frontmost one, bringing himself a little closer to Xiang Lun, who was sitting on the grass. He continued his watchful observation.

Xuzhi made no move to stop him. Instead, he kept his eyes lowered, lost in thought.

Tomato glanced at him and then squatted in place without stirring.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed from nearby, off to the side.

Xuzhi glanced over. It was those two tier 7 earth beast tamers again.

The pair were twins, identical in appearance and even in expression.

They scanned Xuzhi and the now-docile cluster of fluffy plushies before whispering, “Is there really treasure here?”

They spoke back and forth in low voices.

“If there was, you’d have taken it already, right?”

“How did you manage it? Getting these guardian beasts to obey you like that.”

“Is it because of your magical beast? I saw it—you’ve got a little one tucked in your arms…”

Xuzhi’s expression grew colder by the moment, freezing over completely at the words “little magical beast.”

These two were the strongest beast tamers who had come here, and their coordination was flawless. They must have spotted Ming Shuang hidden in his jacket at some point.

Ming Shuang’s voice was just like that of the fluffy plushies, but his appearance was utterly different.

Curiosity piqued, they eyed Xuzhi. “You’re tier 6, aren’t you? Owning two magical beasts—that’s decent talent. Care to make some friends?”

Xuzhi lifted his gaze in silence and looked toward Ming Shuang.

The Little Dragon hatchling was safely tucked away in the pile of plushies, shielded by more than twenty guardian beasts.

Xuzhi withdrew his eyes and glanced at Tomato before walking toward the twins.

Tomato caught the signal and followed right behind.

“There are indeed some things hidden here,” Xuzhi said, “but they’re not Dragon Clan treasure.”

The twins exchanged a glance. “Then what are they?”

They had assumed Xuzhi was agreeing with their earlier speculation. The fluffy plushies had stopped their attack out of nowhere, which seemed like it was on his command.

Besides, as tier 7 beast tamers, they held high status wherever they went. Befriending him could only bring benefits.

Xuzhi stared at them and murmured, “Tomato.”

Tomato? What was that?

The twins were still puzzling it out when an earth array lit up beneath their feet.

The moment the word left Xuzhi’s lips, Tomato sprang into action, teleporting the twins—and Xuzhi—off to a distant grove of trees.

Ming Shuang heard the commotion and whipped his head around. His hiding spot behind him was now empty. Puzzled, he scanned his surroundings.

Meanwhile, the two dwarf hybrids weren’t looking too pleased.

No sooner had the earth array deposited them than Xuzhi raised his hand and summoned a metal magic barrier, trapping them inside.

“You dare trick us?” “Think you’re tired of living, do you?”

Xuzhi had deliberately distanced himself from the guardian beasts. Did he really plan to take them on alone, with just his own magical beasts?

The twins swiftly shattered the barrier and retreated, only for Tomato to yank them right back.

A barrage of wind blades followed hot on their heels.

…Hold on. Earth magic, metal magic… and now wind magic too?

In their shock, a new lightning magic array flickered to life underfoot.

Xuzhi’s backpack twitched. Out crawled a black-furred magical beast.

The next instant, black flames erupted within the earth array.

Back on the central grass clearing, Xiang Lun sensed something amiss and glanced toward the woods.

But he was occupied with opening the passage and had no time for distractions. He quickly looked away again.

In the distance, the twins inside the earth array were steadily losing ground. The golden barrier muffled most of the noise.

Though they were tier 7 beast tamers with impeccable teamwork, they had sent their own magical beasts away early—likely to protect them from the miasma fog.

Xuzhi was only tier 6 at best, but with two magical beasts at his side, their combined power far exceeded tier 7.

The twins never could have anticipated that Xuzhi could wield multiple types of magic simultaneously. Caught off guard, they panicked.

Coal Ball had been itching for a fight. It showed no mercy now. Under the scorching black flames, one twin collapsed with a scream.

Wind blades sliced through next, severing his throat. Xuzhi turned to the remaining twin but paused abruptly.

Their magical beasts weren’t present, so there was no magic to devour.

But what about humans who had formed a beast contract? Would they work too?

—

A few minutes later, the grove fell silent.

The earth array activated once more, transporting Xuzhi back to where he started.

His outer robe was spotless, as if he had changed into a fresh one, though the style was identical.

Tomato trailed faithfully behind him, while Coal Ball had burrowed back into the backpack—as if nothing had happened at all.

Spotting their return, Ming Shuang zipped over and dove into Xuzhi’s arms. He peered up at him. “Mm?”

Xuzhi stroked him soothingly. “It’s nothing. Just a minor nuisance taken care of.”

By now, all the other beast tamers had departed through the passage. Only Xuzhi and Xiang Lun remained.

After a quiet moment, Xuzhi—little dragon hatchling tucked back inside his jacket—walked forward.

Xiang Lun, still seated on the grass, gave him a glance. “Everyone else is in a rush to leave. What’s keeping you?”

With no outsiders around anymore, the snow fox wagged its tail anxiously, looking from Xiang Lun to Xuzhi and back.

Xiang Lun picked up on the snow fox’s agitated mood and grew curious about Xuzhi.

He had opened the passage multiple times in a row, draining a good deal of his magic power. He was tired and due for a break anyway.

Xiang Lun sized Xuzhi up once more. “What’s your name? Which division are you in?”

Xuzhi fell silent and offered no reply. Then his jacket rustled.

A flash of silver-white darted out, vanishing swiftly behind the snow fox.

Xiang Lun’s eyes flicked toward it instinctively. The snow fox’s tail wagged even faster now, its purple eyes brimming with excitement.

A moment later, the little dragon hatchling crept out on tiptoe, paws lifting cautiously as he emerged. He eyed Xiang Lun warily.

His scales gleamed silver-white all over, his horns pure white, and three blue markings adorned his forehead.

Gazing into the little dragon hatchling’s blue-gold heterochromia eyes, Xiang Lun felt as if he had been struck by lightning. Disbelief twisted his features, and his breath grew ragged.

~~~