Dragon Tamer

From beneath my feet came a sensation like stepping on soft snow, followed by the compressed leaves not being crushed nor pressed into the earth, but instead transforming into a foul air that slowly dispersed in the atmosphere.

That dizzying sensation of suffocation grew even deeper.

Zhu Minglang subconsciously grabbed the Grass Beads around his neck, cursing in his heart.

You’re just a tree; can’t you just absorb the sunlight and purify the lovely air of this world? Why do you have to do these peculiar things which only bring curses upon you, and what else can you possibly gain from it??

Beneath my feet were not only the instantly rotting leaves but also invisible muddy marshes.

When I entered here, it was a dazzling forest, but stepping inside, I could feel the forest’s extreme hostility.

They release strange gases, not quite like poison yet far worse than poison, catching one completely off guard. The soil was extremely muddy, populated with various algae in the marshland, demanding extreme caution with every step. If you miss your footing, you could sink into the devil’s mud, and it would take every ounce of energy to climb out, or you might even exhaust yourself further, sinking deeper and deeper.

Such marshlands were absolutely impassable for larger Dragon Beasts.

You couldn’t fly in the sky, the ground was treacherous to navigate, the air was appalling, and the environment could be said to be quite inhospitable.

The only consolation was that this marsh forest didn’t seem to harbor any fierce monsters, which meant they could focus solely on overcoming nature itself.

“The strange scent ahead is too strong; we do not have enough Grass Beads to allow all of us to continue forward,” Great Tutor Lin Zhao said with a furrowed brow.

Grass Beads were quite rare; it had taken him many days to collect these few.

However, these Strange Scent Tri-colored Trees only release their weaker scented air during these few days at the end of winter, allowing them to stay here longer. Any other season, they probably couldn’t endure even as long as the burning of incense.

“How about one person goes to retrieve the Sea-calming Bell while the others wait here as backup?” Han Wen asked.

“Yes, you all wait here for me; be on alert for the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor at all times…” Great Tutor Lin Zhao began.

But before he could finish, a sharp cry came from above the island’s trees, like sudden thunder slashing across the sky, and then a sonic boom exploded, causing a splitting headache!

The mere screeching was terrifying enough, Zhu Minglang looked up just in time to see a majestic golden eagle, with a Feather Crown elongated like an array of backward-curving knives, proud and wild, circling haughtily above the forest.

Great Tutor Lin Zhao’s expression soured.

Why did it show up just as he mentioned it!

Luckily, the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor seemed to be only intimidating other creatures on the island and hadn’t noticed these outsiders.

The problem was that the forest ahead wasn’t dense; if the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor continued to patrol like this, reaching the Azure Bronze Demon Tree would be impossible.

The Hawk Emperor was clearly guarding this Azure Bronze Demon Tree.

With the Hawk Emperor overhead, no one dared to make any rash moves.

After waiting for a while, it became clear that the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor had no intention of leaving…

“Great Tutor, we can’t keep waiting; the Grass Beads will run out soon, and might not even sustain any of us getting close to the Azure Bronze Demon Tree,” Han Wen said.

“`

“We need to draw away the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor,” said Great Tutor Lin Zhao, turning his attention to Zhu Minglang.

“If I summon the Heavenly Slaughter Dragon now and lead the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor away, it will definitely suspect we’re trying to lure it away from its post. Since you’ve had some contact with it before, the emperor remembers you. You could try leading it away while I go into the Magic Forest to retrieve the Sea-calming Bell,” Zhu Minglang proposed.

Zhu Minglang was not afraid of the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor; the main issue was that an ancient spirit several tens of thousands of years old like the emperor wasn’t as foolish as it appeared. Moreover, the fact that it had been circling this area of the forest for so long suggested it might have sensed something that put it on alert.

If the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor wasn’t fooled, their position would be revealed, and it would become much harder to obtain the Sea-calming Bell.

Great Tutor Lin Zhao nodded in agreement.

Indeed, it would be more suitable for them to draw away the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor.

“Then you must be careful. Last time, we didn’t even make it to the foot of the Azure Bronze Demon Tree, so we can’t be sure what dangers lurk nearby… Of course, you’re probably the only one up to the task, seeing as the Heavenly Slaughter Dragon possesses the strength of a Dragon King and can handle crises we can’t foresee,” Great Tutor Lin Zhao nodded again.

…

The mission was then allocated.

Great Tutor Lin Zhao would lead away the Absolute Sea Hawk Emperor, Han Wen and Lü Yuanyu would look for wild Beads nearby, staying on the island in case of an emergency.

Zhu Minglang, carrying a sufficient quantity of Beads, headed deep into the swamp forest.

The leaves decayed, and even without stepping on them, touching the water in the swamp would cause the evaporation of a dense fantastical gas.

About a kilometer further, poisonous dragonflies appeared overhead; upon seeing Zhu Minglang, they were like flies spotting…

“What the hell am I even thinking about? Qing Zhuo, take them down,” Zhu Minglang ordered, his expression a bit more serious.

The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon emerged from the interweaving azure light, its purifying radiance quickly dispelling the miasma that filled the swamp.

The group of poisonous dragonfly demon spirits mostly had a cultivation base of two or three thousand years.

The creatures in Magic Island were terrifyingly powerful; in fact, these poisonous dragonflies had only been born four or five years ago. The unique gases and harsh environment here had allowed them to transform into these huge, tumorous-headed creatures, their bodies a greasy green, probably with blood that was highly corrosive and poisonous.

The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon weaved agilely among these poisonous dragonfly demon spirits, its emitted light like red-hot, molten spears that pierced accurately into the creatures.

The group of demon spirits, each with two or three thousand years of cultivation base, was quickly dealt with by the Azure Green Holy Dragon.

Even the Heavenly Slaughter Dragon could only spend a limited amount of time on this island filled with bizarre gasses, so it was better to let the Azure Green Dragon handle these demon spirits on the way. Who knew what sort of great devil could be lurking near the Azure Bronze Tree?

Zhu Minglang’s experience told him that great dangers always lurked around Ancient Artifacts, Holy Fruits, and Forbidden Lands!

Along the way, they encountered mostly group-living creatures that could adapt to the strange scent.

The Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon slaughtered countless bizarre swamp creatures, but it wasn’t long before Little Qingzhuo also began to feel dizzy.

Its strength was severely diminished, and its breathing became very labored. The holy radiance of the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon could purify the swamp’s miasma, but not the oppressive tree fragrance.

Fortunately, the Azure Bronze Tree was now in sight. Zhu Minglang told the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon to rest while he approached the Azure Bronze Tree alone.

If the Heavenly Slaughter Dragon could take the Sea-calming Bell stealthily, without anyone noticing, there was no need for a grand battle!