In an instant, waves of decaying deathly aura spread out.
The black mist within the Element River trembled, on the verge of erupting.
Xiang Lun reacted the fastest. He immediately raised his hand to form seals, erecting an air wall to block the front.
Space magic enveloped the Element River before them and continued to expand.
But the Element River covered too vast an area to fully contain in a short time. The miasma fog might seep out from other directions.
Xiang Lun said at once, “You all go first!”
The Miasma-Clearing Team had already arrived nearby, and this patch of mountain forest was in the process of being cleared. With the incident happening so suddenly, he needed to buy as much time as possible.
The Snow Fox had accompanied Xiang Lun for many years and understood his intentions. It released its magic power to envelop Ming Shuang and the others, intending to escort them away first.
Yet at a time like this, how could Ming Shuang abandon Xiang Lun?
The Little Dragon Hatchling refused to leave and clung tightly to the back of one of the Fluffy Plushies.
Ming Shuang wasn’t going, so of course the Fluffy Plushies stayed as well. Xuzhi and Tomato didn’t budge either.
Tomato glanced at the dark fog, a little frightened. For once, it huddled right up against Xuzhi and nudged the backpack on his back with its wings. “Cheep!”
Coal Ball didn’t stir inside, though it was actually quite tense.
High-tier magic beasts knew how terrifying the miasma fog was and normally stayed far away from it.
Usually, the miasma fog latched onto a magic beast first. Coal Ball would scamper off at the faintest whiff from a distance. Getting pulled in by the Element River this time was pure bad luck.
The Element River had died long ago and couldn’t sustain the fog for long. That meant the miasma would be less concentrated, but if any magic beasts lurked nearby, one of them could easily become the next host.
At a moment like this, only Xiang Lun’s space magic could make a difference.
Seeing that no one was leaving, the Snow Fox grew anxious. “Wu?”
Right then, Ming Shuang’s attention wandered.
This was the second time he’d been this close to miasma fog. The first had been on the mountain outside Green Pine Town.
The small grassy patch in front of the Element River had withered to a dull gray, surrounded by a suffocating deathly aura.
Ming Shuang recalled the Gale Wind Bird in Green Pine Forest, its body shrouded entirely in black fog.
He could sense the profound unease radiating from the Fluffy Plushies around him.
They feared it—not with the subservience they showed the Dragon Clan, but with a deep dread of death itself.
The Little Dragon Hatchling stared intently at the Element River ahead, its gaze solemn.
Ming Shuang felt he might be able to help. He remembered how that Gale Wind Bird had once sought his aid.
Xuzhi stood off to the side, his brows lightly furrowed.
Ivan’s mind was still a whirlwind of confusion. He forced himself to calm down and ventured cautiously, “Then we…”
Before he could finish, the Little Dragon Hatchling leaped into the air and flew to Xiang Lun’s side.
Xiang Lun nearly choked on his breath. “Didn’t I tell you to go first?!”
The Little Dragon Hatchling paid him no mind and lowered his spine slightly.
Ming Shuang’s magic power had grown considerably over this time, with no real chance to put it to use.
He raised a claw and patted down. A magic array shimmering with starlight appeared.
The temperature around them plunged in an instant, the very air seeming to solidify.
Xiang Lun froze for a moment but didn’t intervene.
Emboldened beside him, The Little Dragon Hatchling threw his head back. “Aowoo—”
In the next second, frost swept across the scene.
Ming Shuang didn’t overthink it. He targeted the miasma fog in the Element River entirely.
Countless ice blades coalesced. Driven by the magic array, they pierced through the space magic and hurtled toward the dark fog.
The Element River shuddered with a soft hum.
Xiang Lun swiftly adjusted his space magic, helping the frost spread even farther.
Under the chill of the ice magic, the miasma fog seemed to freeze solid before plummeting like raindrops.
The Element River’s tremors grew more pronounced, but its color faded dramatically.
The deathly aura was receding. It looked like they’d succeeded.
The Little Dragon Hatchling’s eyes sparkled. He wanted to bolster the magic array but realized he didn’t have enough magic power left.
Ming Shuang caught his breath. He simply opened his storage bracelet, fishing for a magic stone to eat.
But the box holding the magic stones was latched shut. His claws fumbled futilely with it for ages.
At that moment, Xiang Lun spoke up. “Has the miasma fog retreated?”
Ming Shuang looked up. Sure enough, the Element River had mostly returned to normal, save for a small gap below. The pitch-black fog that had clung to it was completely gone.
And just like that, it was over?
Ming Shuang craned his neck for a better look. It had seemed almost too easy. He hadn’t even replenished his magic power with a stone yet.
The Little Dragon Hatchling withdrew the magic array but kept a wary eye on what lay ahead.
Traces of frost lingered in spots all around, as if the mountaintop had skipped straight into winter.
Ivan, trailing behind, stood dumbfounded once more. He murmured to himself, “Ice magic…”
Soon, Xiang Lun dispelled all the remaining frost with his magic, leaving as little trace as possible.
With that done, he turned around. “Let’s go. We’ll talk after we’re clear of here.”
Now that the miasma fog was gone, the Miasma-Clearing Team would probably assume Xiang Lun had handled it. They could leave the rest to them.
The Snow Fox had its short-range space teleport ready. It enveloped everyone in an instant, whisking them from the spot before proceeding bit by bit in the distance.
Inside the special space woven from magic power, Xiang Lun regarded Ming Shuang.
He seemed thoughtful, then let out a sigh of praise. “Well done.”
Ming Shuang felt pretty good about it all. Surrounded by the Fluffy Plushies, he flew over to Xuzhi’s side.
Tomato had just unfurled its wings to scoop up the Little Dragon Hatchling when Xuzhi lifted him away.
Xuzhi stroked the Little Dragon Hatchling’s horn. “Does your body feel off anywhere?”
Ming Shuang let out a little “mm” and shook his head. But moments later, he flew back over to Xiang Lun.
Xuzhi overheard Xiang Lun murmuring instructions to Ming Shuang. “Your ice magic is special. Don’t use it recklessly in front of outsiders. When I get back to the academy…”
Ming Shuang had heard similar words from Xuzhi before. He nodded in blank agreement.
The crisis appeared resolved just like that. Once the miasma fog receded from the Element River, it wouldn’t return right away.
The space magic kept them moving along. The Snow Fox guided them down the mountain through an unpopulated route.
Blurred silhouettes of trees whipped past. Xuzhi glanced down at his fingertip.
He’d been the first to sense the miasma fog’s disturbance.
A faint wisp seemed to slip into his body—or perhaps it had only brushed close without making contact.
Miasma fog eroded magic beasts, inflicting irreversible harm, but it couldn’t possess humans outright. At worst, it caused some localized pain.
Yet up to now, Xuzhi felt nothing at all.
His physique and innate talent were unique, though. He wasn’t exactly a normal human.
Compared to other beast tamers, he resembled a magic beast far more. He could wield magic without forming a beast contract.
Back on the mountaintop, one of those two Earth Beast Tamers had died. Xuzhi had stripped the survivor of its magic elements.
It wasn’t just magic beasts—even beast tamers bound to them were fair game for him.
Xuzhi withdrew his gaze. His downcast eyes remained serene.
He started wondering if he should find a doctor someday for a proper check-up.
~~~
Not long after, Wu Shao and Xing Huai appeared before the Element River.
The two dragons had beaten the Miasma-Clearing Team there, hoping to scour the area for clues. But time was short, and Wu Shao had promised Xing Huai they’d keep tabs on Xiang Lun from the shadows together.
Seeing the Element River restored to normal except for a missing chunk, Xing Huai was astonished. “The miasma fog’s been dealt with?”
Her immediate assumption was Xiang Lun. After all, he was a top-tier beast tamer with exceptional abilities.
But soon enough, both dragons detected traces of a second type of magic.
Even if it had been deliberately scrubbed away, it couldn’t fool them.
Wu Shao’s expression darkened. “It’s ice magic.”
Conspiracy theories flooded his mind in a flash.
Xing Huai pointed out that this was a place Ming Xue had once lived. Ming Xue had been quite close to Xiang Lun’s son, Xiang Yuan. And now this coincidence with the dragon breath…
Wu Shao blurted out, “Did that old coot use some crooked sorcery to preserve Ming Xue’s magic and dragon breath?”
Xing Huai twirled the light ring on her fingertip, mulling it over. “Maybe it’s Ming Xue’s child…”
“…” Wu Shao’s face twisted oddly. “Ming Xue never took a shine to any dragon back then. Even if she and Xiang Yuan… no way they’d have a kid.”
Dragons didn’t produce hybrids. It was impossible.
Xing Huai rubbed her chin. “Just spitballing. Someone’s coming—let’s move.”
The two dragons departed swiftly, pursuing the direction in which the Snow Fox had gone.
~~~
Once they were well away from the mountaintop, the Snow Fox halted in a secluded nook amid Netherworld Mountain.
Heading straight back to the city would have been ideal, but Xiang Lun had brought along a bunch of Fluffy Plushies. These guardian beasts from the ruins weren’t something to parade in front of outsiders just yet.
The Snow Fox withdrew its magic power, scanned the surroundings to confirm they were safe, and let out a couple of “woo woo” calls to signal a rest stop.
Xiang Lun sat right there on the ground and addressed the Little Dragon Hatchling beside him. “Do you want to go to the academy?” he asked mildly. “In Central City, Grandpa is the vice dean there.”
It was Xiang Lun’s “home” as well. Central City sat in the most bustling region of Cangyuan Continent, and Lobe Academy enjoyed a stellar reputation.
All of Xiang Lun’s old acquaintances were in Central City. He could arrange for someone to examine Ming Shuang’s health.
There were plenty of other matters to sort out too… Returning was undoubtedly the best course.
He could even make some introductions and let Ming Shuang meet a few people.
This was his precious grandson, after all!
At his age, life finally held some real promise.
Ming Shuang tilted his head curiously. Academy?
“Whatever you want, the academy’s bound to have it,” Xiang Lun went on. “Books, herbs, magic stones… Your parents were students there once too.”
The Little Dragon Hatchling’s eyes lit up bright. “Mm?”
“However,” Xiang Lun said with a smile, “Xiang Yuan isn’t living up to expectations. He’s been at the academy for a year and still hasn’t awakened his innate talent. Ming Xue is the opposite—she’s too gifted and finished all her coursework in just one year…”
He trailed off with a sigh and changed the subject. “If you don’t want to enroll, you could always just go to the academy and have some fun for a few days.”
Ming Shuang nodded obediently, draping a paw over Xiang Lun’s arm and nuzzling his sleeve.
Xuzhi sat nearby, while Ivan quietly busied himself pulling out all sorts of gear for an outdoor trip.
Folding table and chairs, a water flask, a large and thick tent…
Ming Shuang had never seen these things before. He leaned in close, eyeing them curiously.
When the Little Dragon Hatchling drew near, Ivan’s hands shook with nerves. “Young Master…”
Ming Shuang wasn’t used to the form of address. He froze for a moment before realizing Ivan meant him.
The Little Dragon Hatchling let out a polite “Mm” and turned toward Xuzhi instead.
Ming Shuang launched himself into Xuzhi’s arms with practiced ease, resting the paw adorned with the storage bracelet in Xuzhi’s palm. He wanted Xuzhi to fetch a magic stone for him.
Xuzhi gave the paw a squeeze. “What is it? A magic stone?”
Ming Shuang nodded and opened the bracelet, allowing Xuzhi’s mind to enter the storage space.
Xiang Lun watched from the side, opening his mouth as if to speak but holding back.
He still felt that Ming Shuang was far too intimate with this man. Their relationship seemed unusually close.
But Xuzhi appeared aloof and didn’t talk much. With so much happening in such a short time, Xiang Lun had no chance to learn more.
He pondered silently how to broach the subject.
Meanwhile, Xuzhi took out two magic stones and fed them to Ming Shuang.
After two stones, Ming Shuang still felt it wasn’t enough. He’d expended a lot of magic power earlier, leaving his body somewhat weak.
The Little Dragon Hatchling clung to Xuzhi’s hand, gazing up expectantly. “Mm…”
Xuzhi hesitated for a moment before pulling out one more.
Ming Shuang had been drinking medicine lately, so it should be fine.
Ming Shuang happily devoured the third magic stone. He sneaked a lick at Xuzhi’s fingertip, then nestled into the familiar embrace and closed his eyes.
Exhaustion had caught up with him, and he drifted off to sleep in a daze.
Seeing this, Xiang Lun lowered his voice and suggested that Xuzhi take Ming Shuang to the tent that had already been set up.
Xuzhi didn’t refuse. He rose gently, cradling the Little Dragon Hatchling.
~~~
When Ming Shuang woke from his nap, the aroma of food wafted in from outside the tent.
He yawned and sat up from Xuzhi’s arms, half-lidded eyes blinking sleepily. One of the Fluffy Balls scooted over and licked his paw.
“Lunch should be ready,” Xuzhi said, wiping Ming Shuang’s cheek with his sleeve. “Are you hungry?”
Ming Shuang yawned again. Suddenly, a familiar surge of magic power stirred within him.
A flash of white light erupted. Xuzhi instinctively tightened his hold on the silver-haired youth in his arms.
Ming Shuang blinked in a daze for a moment, then beamed. “Master, I…”
Just then, Xiang Lun heard the commotion. He lifted the tent flap to check if the Little Dragon Hatchling had woken up.
Seeing Ming Shuang in his shapeshifted form, Xiang Lun’s face lit up with shock and delight at first. But realization soon dawned, and his expression shifted.
After a moment of silence, Xiang Lun spoke calmly. “…What did you call him?”
~~~
