But the Green Dragon was cold and refused to answer. However, the Golden Dragon was very persistent, asking so many questions that the Green Dragon finally snapped: "Stop! Just be quiet, you're so annoying! If you want answers, give me Spirit Stones. One question, one stone. You’re so rich, you use Spirit Stones as bullets!" ??
Golden Dragon: "I don't have any! They're all back in Doanh Thành."
Green Dragon: "Liar! Where is your monthly salary?"
Golden Dragon: "I don't know. I've been here for almost six months; I don't know anything about it. I promise if I get paid, I will pay you back immediately." ??
Green Dragon: (Frowning) "Swear by the Dragon Mother (Long M?u)."
Golden Dragon: (Seriously) "I swear by the Dragon Mother, I will keep my promise."
And so, one question cost one Spirit Stone. The Golden Dragon nearly spent all the Spirit Stones he had, but in return, the Green Dragon provided abundant and detailed information.
The Dragon Society: Three Tiers
The Green Dragon explained the social structure of the Dragon Race (Long T?c), which was divided into three main tiers:
- FlYinglong Dragons (Th??ng l?u - Upper Class):
- Characteristics: Dragons capable of flying in the sky, often possessing powers tied to the air, lightning, or light. They have the most majestic, sparkling, or graceful appearances.
- Status: The most noble class, residing in the highest places (like the Ancestral Dragon peak or flying islands), possessing the most political power and voice within the Dragon Race. The Golden Dragon and Yinglong both have wings and natural flying ability, belonging to this high class.
- Water Dragons (Trung l?u - Middle Class):
- Characteristics: Dragons living in aquatic environments (seas, great rivers, deep lakes). They can possess powers controlling water, creating storms, or related to marine creatures. Their appearance can be softer or powerfully aquatic.
- Status: The intermediate class, crucial in governing seas and rivers, often serving as a bridge between earth and flYinglong Dragons. The Azure Dragon King (Thanh Long V??ng) is a Water Dragon, which partly explains the Green Dragon's arrogance as the Dragon King's emissary; though the Golden Dragon is of a higher status, she still disdains him. The Dragon King is also a Water Dragon, a source of pride for all Water Dragons due to his exceptional ambition.
- Earth Dragons (H? l?u - Lower Class):
- Characteristics: Dragons living deep underground, in caves, volcanoes, or mines. They possess powers related to stone, earth, fire, or metal. Their appearance is often rough, rugged, and sometimes monstrous.
- Status: The lowest class in Dragon society. They are often looked down upon or assigned "menial" tasks like guarding mining areas, or living in isolation, sometimes even used as Dragon Mounts (Long c??i) for high-ranking Dragon Slaves.
The Immortal Dragon War: 40 Years Ago
The Golden Dragon asked about the Immortal Dragon War (??i Chi?n Tiên Long) 40 years ago.
Green Dragon: "That will be five Spirit Stones. If you don't agree, I won't tell." ??
Golden Dragon: (Frowning) "The price went up again! I only have five left. Take them all if you want!"
Green Dragon: (Pouting) "Stingy! Upper-class indeed, so frugal. Fine, listen up. This was an earth-shattering, god-crying, soul-weeping, tragic battle beyond description. On that day..."
In the sky, countless flying vessels shaped like Phoenixes ?? or gigantic Eagles ??, belonging to the Ten Great Immortal Clans and numerous smaller Cultivation Sects, encircled the mountain. They unleashed a continuous barrage of dazzling spells and techniques ??, causing the earth to tremble and stones to rain down ??. The upper atmosphere was a blinding expanse of light and thunderous explosions. Many Immortals ???♀? stood not on the vessels, but soared on clouds, while others rode flying swords or aerial beasts, forming a multi-layered formation that tightly enclosed the peak, preventing any Dragons from escaping.
Below, the armies of Transformed Beasts and powerful land Spirit Beasts ?? formed concentric rings. Many were furiously digging deep, winding tunnels, almost reaching the mountain's roots, creating colossal passages where even the largest Spirit Beasts could run and frolic freely. They slowly advanced into the mountain's depths, the seismic tremors spreading across the land. This was the most advanced force, facing almost no resistance.
Along the rivers, the Naval Troops ?? moved. They swam against the current, entering the watery caves that led to the Flood Dragons' (Jiaolong) passage. Many detachments sat on dragon-shaped boats encased in a thick energy shield ???, diving beneath the surface. They fought fiercely with the Flood Dragons. Towering jets of water erupted from the riverbed, propelling Flood Dragons and Water Dragons to the surface, while others were instantly frozen ?? and rendered motionless. All were quickly subdued, bound, or imprisoned by the Cultivators using various means.
One of the leaders of the Naval Troops was the Grand National Master of the Jade Nation ??, wielding the paired Ice and Fire Dual Dragon Spirit Saber-Swords: the Ice Dragon Spirit Saber ??? and the Fire Dragon Spirit Sword ??, forged from dragon fire and ice, making them immensely powerful. They could channel energy to temporarily manifest as two small dragons, one ice ?? and one fire ??.
He commanded the vanguard fleet, which moved with extreme speed, always the first to plunge deep into the mountain. The Ice Dragon and Fire Dragon continuously appeared and vanished, taking turns to suppress the Water Dragons, becoming the absolute dread ?? of the Aquatic Dragon-kind at that moment.
The War Erupts ??
This was a sudden and brutal war initiated by the Immortal Clans, perfectly timed for when the Four Dragon Kings had gathered alongside the Dragon King, making a total of Five Great Dragon Kings. The battle raged on all fronts, but the most intense and perilous was the fight on the Upper Level, where the Great Immortals, Dragon Kings, and Yinglong Dragons (Winged Dragons) engaged in a clash of titans. The remaining Immortals stood guard outside, maintaining the Boundary Barrier to ensure no Dragon could escape.
Inside the Dragon Cavern, Nine Star, the Sect Master of the Profound Ice Faction, held the Nine Star Profound Dark Ice Saber, facing the White Dragon King. His older brother, Seven Star, the joint Sect Master of two major sects (though not among the top ten), wielded the Seven Star Dragon Slaying Divine Sword with four auxiliary Seven Star Divine Swords flying around him, engaging the Dragon King himself. The other Dragon Kings and Yinglong Dragons were each forced to contend with two to three other Sect Masters.
???♂? CHARACTER PROFILE: Seven Star (Level 899): GREAT IMMORTAL
Equipment: The Seven-Star Big Dipper Divine Swords
Every sect had prepared meticulously for this battle, their hands holding immensely powerful magic artifacts unique to their factions, specifically designed to counter dragons.
- The five elders of the "Ancient Myriad Spirit Beasts" ?? used their Phoenix Divine Crowns, transforming into five divine Phoenixes (Fire, Azure, Gold, Blue, Black) ??.
- The Sect Master of the Crimson Flame Nine Suns Sect carried the Dragon Shooting Divine Bow ??, specialized for taking down dragons.
- The female Sect Master of the Empress Earth Undying Sect brought the Dragon Suppressing Divine Pagoda ??, used for imprisoning or defending against Dragon attacks.
- The Sect Master of the Wind and Thunder Pavilion carried the Wind and Thunder Divine Banner ??, capable of controlling or reducing the might of wind and lightning, as these were the Dragon race's primary elemental attacks.
The fierce struggle lasted for many days and nights without a clear victor. Casualties were high on both sides, mostly among the less powerful elders. However, the Sect Masters and Dragon Kings remained strong, locked in an unceasing, brutal confrontation.
The Immortal Clans below ground and in the flooded tunnels gradually gained the upper hand, capturing almost all the dragons there. The Dragon Slaves (Dwarf) fled in all directions, unwilling to fight, burrowing into deeper levels to avoid the battle. The remaining Dragon Kin fought on but were slowly subdued, bound, and cornered by the Immortals. Every Immortal held their breath, awaiting the results of the battle on the Upper Level, where their leaders and most powerful cultivators were fighting.
A Moment of Tragedy ??
On the Upper Level, the battle between Dragon and Immortal had reached an equilibrium; neither side was losing or gaining an advantage. However, the Dragon Race was at a disadvantage due to the cramped cavern—their large bodies made evasion extremely difficult. The Dragon Kings suffered minor injuries, unable to use their full power because their spells were often wide-area attacks, easily hitting their allies or other Dragon Kings. The Yinglong Dragons and other Dragon Kings remained calm, but the Dragon King was driven to fury by the relentless pressure. He was finally forced to use his strongest technique: the Five Color Divine Lightning Grand Spell, blasting Nine Star and Seven Star out of the Dragon Cavern.
Magic (S-Rank) Five Color Divine Lightning Grand Spell
Many Sect Masters were injured by the spreading power of the attack. The Dragon Kings and Yinglong Dragons immediately surged forward to escape the confined space. Spells of wind, lightning, and water were unleashed, overwhelming all the Sect Masters. They were forced to retreat into the Dragon Suppressing Pagoda to save their lives—the Dragons had secured an 80-90% chance of victory.
The Dragon King seized the opportunity to attack the other Sect Masters. Yet, in his fury, the control over the lightning surge was inaccurate, inadvertently sweeping across the nearby Dragon Kings and Yinglong Dragons. The closest Dragon King, the White Dragon King, was critically hit and immediately collapsed inside the Dragon Cavern. The Dragon King let out a sky-shattering roar ?? and flew down to lift his friend, but the White Dragon King only managed to utter a few dying words before perishing ??. His Dragon Soul left his body, his dragon head falling into the arms of the Dragon King. Losing all will to fight, the Dragon King commanded everyone to surrender, unwilling to let any more Dragon Kings or Yinglong Dragons die.
The Dragon King permitted the Immortal Clans to take all his treasures. However, the Immortals did not. They captured a small number of FlYinglong Dragons, many Water Dragons, and Earth Dragons to distribute among the sects: to serve as Mountain Guardians for the Immortal Factions or Water Deities to protect the lakes of the Immortal Clans. Some were assigned to guard the floating islands in the sky, well-cared for and nurtured. The only condition was that the Dragon Race could not intermarry with humans or Immortals. Crucially, the agreement stipulated that neither humans nor Dragons would be forced into slavery or servitude. Once the treaty was established, the Immortal Clans returned. The human and Immortal Dragon Slaves were freed, and all left the Dragon Cavern, no one remaining behind. ??
Golden Dragon heard this and was shocked: "The White Dragon King is dead? My father is dead?" ??
Green Dragon was confused: "What? You're the White Dragon King's son?"
From that day on, the Golden Dragon was melancholic and spoke little. The Green Dragon deliberately joked and stopped taking Spirit Stones, even giving free guidance, but the Golden Dragon remained like a walking corpse, worrying the Green Dragon deeply. She sought permission from the Dragon King for the Golden Dragon to visit his family.