Chapter 165: Plant Pact Level 6, A Fine Day for Dragon Slaying (4K)

Chapter 165: Plant Pact Level 6, A Fine Day for Dragon Slaying (4K)



Within the city of This Country, there lay a spacious open square of considerable size.

The square was circular, its edges adorned with countless ancient-looking green stones, each etched with mysterious characters that seemed to bear the marks of time.

At the very center of the square stood a tall platform constructed entirely from wood.

Xue Jing sat confidently atop this platform.

Beneath him was an old-fashioned chair crafted from intertwined branches and vines.

Gazing down at the citizens of This Country scurrying below, carrying various sacrificial offerings to be laid out in the square, Xue Jing let out a yawn.

The sudden invasion of That Country had inadvertently played into his hands, providing him with a convenient excuse to display his formidable personal strength before the Elder Council of This Country.

After that, things had proceeded smoothly. Once Renia had translated his words, the scene had fallen silent for a moment, but not a single person dared to voice any dissent.

The members of the Elder Council immediately prostrated themselves, acknowledging their submission and pledging their allegiance, enthroning this foreigner as the King of their country.

Xue Jing had no intention of indulging in imperial fantasies and promptly ordered the commencement of the Dragon God sacrifice ritual to summon the pure-blooded dragon species.

In principle, this proposal required a vote by the Elder Council, and only upon securing a supermajority of two-thirds in favor could the decision to hold the ritual be confirmed, after which the witch doctors would be notified. They would then perform a ritual to seek the consent of the first generation shaman by communicating with her through the ritual. Only then would a date be chosen...

In any case, it was a cumbersome process.

However, no matter how traditional and tedious the customs, in the face of absolute military might, there was nothing that could not be compromised...

Under Xue Jing's directive to "skip" all unnecessary procedures, the entire process was streamlined and abbreviated. The construction of the altar began immediately, and it was expected that all preparations would be completed by noon the following day, at which time the ceremony to summon the Dragon God would be held.

Xue Jing was unfamiliar with the intricacies of altar construction, so he could only idle on his "throne" and supervise the proceedings.

Bored out of his mind, he opened the panel to check his status.

[Divinity Held: 1271]



After slaying the dozen or so dragon species in That Country, although each one had been weak and contributed only a small amount of divinity, the cumulative gain was still significant, totaling over five hundred divinity.

Combined with the seven hundred divinity he already possessed, his current holdings had now reached four digits.

"How much divinity have I accumulated since entering the borderland?" Xue Jing wondered, recalling his journey thus far.

He had spent 1,200 divinity to raise Shadowflame by one level.

Upgrading the Plant Pact by three levels had cost him a total of 1,006 divinity.

Adding these expenses together, he had spent 2,206 divinity, plus the 1,200 he currently held, minus the 500 provided by the [Mirror Man]...

This borderland had already yielded him approximately 3,500 divinity...

That was roughly equivalent to the gain from seven divine artifacts!

And on top of that, there was the abundant skill experience he had earned through his relentless battles with the dragon species.

"Things are really taking off," Xue Jing mused.

All that remained now was the pure-blooded dragon species.

He wondered how much divinity it would provide if he could defeat it. Or perhaps... the rewards would not be limited to just divinity.

As Xue Jing pondered this, Renia, standing by his side like an attendant, spoke softly, "Your Majesty."

Hearing this, Xue Jing snapped out of his reverie and glanced at her, waving his hand dismissively, "No need for that 'Your Majesty' formality, Renia. Just call me Xue Jing, as always."

Renia pouted and replied, "But your status has been officially recognized and recorded in the 'Law Code' by the Elder Council..."

"If I don't maintain proper decorum with you, the Elder Council will reprimand me," she added.

Xue Jing stroked his chin thoughtfully. "You are my exclusive translator and the only means of communication I have. How dare they treat you without respect?"

Renia didn't immediately understand the word "We", but her simultaneous interpretation earpiece quickly provided her with the definition—it was an imperial pronoun used by emperors and rulers.

"Looks like you're settling into your new role quite comfortably," Renia teased.

After a brief pause, she continued, "Maybe it's a force of habit... Because I was known as the 'most useless shaman in history', unable to tame even a single dragon, they've always treated me with disdain. Even now, they still look down on me."

Xue Jing smiled gently and whispered, "Rest assured, after tomorrow, you won't be known as the 'most useless shaman' anymore. Instead, you'll be revered as the 'most legendary shaman' in history."

Renia remained silent for a moment, her eyes reflecting her determination. Then, in a soft voice, she asked, "What do you need me to do?"

"Xue Jing reached into the pocket of his tactical vest and pulled out four... no, three and a half Serpent-Slayer Claws, their tips gleaming with deadly sharpness.

After a moment's thought, he returned two of them to his pocket, handing the remaining two intact claws to Renia.

'After the sacrificial ritual successfully summons the Dragon God, find an opportunity to drive these claws into its body,' he instructed.

Renia took the two claws, her heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. She placed a hand over her heart and asked, 'Where should I aim?'

The figure in the mirror ring replied, 'Anywhere will do... but preferably the torso or head.'"

Renia's fingers traced the gleaming silver-white claws, a mix of curiosity and apprehension in her eyes as she asked, "But... with my strength, how can I possibly harm the Dragon God?"

"Just stab it," Xue Jing said. "Don't worry about anything else."

Renia fell silent for a moment, her voice heavy with disappointment as she asked, "Then... will I die?"

Attacking the Dragon God at close range... regardless of the Dragon God's fate, her own seemed obvious.

Would she die?

Xue Jing didn't answer immediately. Instead, he paused, a thoughtful expression on his face as he said, "I can't guarantee your safety, Renia. I won't lie to you—your plan is dangerous. There's a high chance you might die, much higher than the chance of survival. All I can promise is that I'll do everything in my power to protect you if the opportunity arises. What you're about to do is incredibly risky."

Xue Jing reached out and gently ruffled her hair. "If you're afraid, you can refuse. There's no burden or obligation. It's only natural to feel this way."

Renia froze, a faraway look in her eyes. A glimmer appeared in her gaze as she murmured, "Why didn't you lie to me and tell me there's no danger? Why didn't you threaten me to force me to do this?"

Xue Jing let out a soft laugh at her question. "...I haven't sunk so low as to deceive or coerce a little girl."

He paused, then continued gently, "Our relationship is one of mutual consent and equality. Beyond that, you're also my friend, and I would never do something like that to you. I need to kill the Dragon God, and so do you. Given that we both want the same outcome, I simply gave you a nudge."

Xue Jing squatted down next to a golden-crowned flower and gently touched its petals, imprinting them with his mark. "If, after hearing all this, Renia still chooses to refuse out of fear, then it shows the extent of her character. I wouldn't trust someone like that with the crucial 'claws'..."

The mirror figure sighed. "You're mature beyond your years... not like a child at all."

Xue Jing tucked the golden seeds into his pocket and smiled. "Is that a compliment?

The figure in the mirror folded his arms across his chest and, instead of answering, glanced at the glasses Xue Jing was wearing. With a playful smile, he said, "There's actually an easier way to make her wholeheartedly devoted to your service."

Xue Jing understood what he meant but shook his head. "If it's truly necessary, I won't hesitate to use this face of mine."

"The prerequisite is that it's truly necessary," the figure in the mirror added with a light hum. "I wasn't talking about your face. You're quite the narcissist."

...

For an entire day, Xue Jing traveled across the territories of the various Guardian Dragons, collecting seeds from the Dragon Thunder plants.

In the end, he gathered around twenty-five to six seeds. It wasn't that he couldn't collect more, but he had reached the upper limit of his Plant Pact.

To contract more seeds, he even spent 1,200 points of Divinity to raise the Plant Pact by another level, bringing it to the same level as Shadowflame, Level 6.

Now, he had pushed his strength to the utmost limit attainable for the time being, and he truly had no more tricks up his sleeve.

By the time he returned to This Country, it was already close to noon on the second day.

At that moment, in the square, the altar had been completed.

Various ritual instruments were placed around the square, along with countless offerings of meat and unique, locally-sourced foods that Xue Jing couldn't identify, all laid out as sacrifices.

Several hundred people from This Country, dressed in colorful ceremonial robes, stood in their respective positions, awaiting the start of the ceremony.

On the high platform at the center of the altar, Renia wore heavy makeup and a shamanic ritual robe, with a magnificent headdress adorning her head. She knelt silently, holding a hook-shaped blade in each hand.

Xue Jing didn't enter the city but instead stood on a distant hillside, overlooking the sacrificial ceremony below.

Time passed slowly until, at noon, the sun hung directly overhead, and the sacrificial ritual officially began.

The witch doctors below the platform seemed to be chanting something. When they finished, all the participants began to move, and Renia started a graceful dance on the high platform.

As the ritual progressed, an invisible, mysterious force seemed to emanate from the altar.

"Boom—!!"

A thunderous roar shook the heavens and the earth. Xue Jing's gaze turned towards the center of the borderland—the Roaring Waterfall.

Golden lightning bolts struck down from the sky, one after another, each followed by the sound of thunder.

"Swish—"

Under Xue Jing's watchful eye, a massive shadow soared into the sky from the Roaring Waterfall.

Its speed was so incredible that, due to the distance, the full impact wasn't immediately apparent.

However, the sonic booms that trailed in its wake and the white airwaves that spread along its path of flight clearly indicated one fact.

Xue Jing's pupils constricted. "Supersonic..."

At such speed, just standing on its back would be unbearable for his physical body, not to mention being struck by it...

Xue Jing looked intently, his sharp vision capturing a clear image of the creature flying at supersonic speed.

Undoubtedly, it was—a dragon.

Since entering the borderland, Xue Jing had encountered quite a few dragon species, but never had any dragon exuded such a strong 'dragon' aura as this one.

Its entire being exuded an absolute, dominant, and terrifying aura of a creature at the top of the food chain, surpassing all other beings.

It carried an air of natural superiority, as if it were born to reign over all other life forms, leaving no room for doubt or challenge. Its arrogance and sense of entitlement were off the charts.

Its dragon scales resembled tree bark, but unlike the coarse texture of the three Guardian Dragons, these scales were exquisite, as if they had been meticulously crafted by the gods, elegant and noble.

Its massive wings, streamlined body, swaying tail, and the two curved, sharp dragon horns on its head all added to its majestic presence.

The dragon horns were entwined with brown branches, upon which beautiful flowers resembling cherry blossoms bloomed.

"That's the pure-blooded dragon species... the true dragon," Xue Jing murmured, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he realized the truth.

"Be careful. Stick to the plan and don't act impulsively," the mirror figure reminded him.

"Don't worry," Xue Jing said, his eyes fixed on the dragon as it cut through the air, leaving a trail of sonic booms in its wake.

He took a deep breath, reached for the Rabbit-Slayer Knife at his waist, and looked up at the sky.

The cloudless sky held only one sun, hanging directly overhead, casting its rays upon the land.

"What a fine day for dragon slaying," Xue Jing muttered.

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end