Chapter 237: The Dragon of Deep Sleep
All affairs settled, Kai Xiusu dragged the Dragon Body into the cave alone. The warm cavern—nearly hollowed out of the mountain—was undoubtedly the perfect sanctuary for him.
"Finally."
Inside the cave, illuminated by the Inextinguishable Bright Flame, Red Dragon slowly lowered his massive form onto the ground, curling his body into a tight, powerful coil. His broad wings folded loosely against his sides. The air shimmered with white steam, thick with the pungent scent of sulfur wafting from Spines’ nostrils. The surface of his body pulsed with lava-like ripples, radiating unimaginable heat.
In the past, a Red Dragon had to sleep in molten lava to absorb ample Fire Elemental Energy. But now—Kai Xiusu, bearing the blood of the Ancestral Dragon—was himself an endless wellspring of power. A fire dragon, as the saying went, grew hotter with age. Even his Basal Vessels could no longer contain the overflowing heat. The only thing he needed to do was release the strength hidden within his Bloodseed—those shimmering light waves were merely the excess energy spilling from his core.
Clink-clink-clank.
A soft, rhythmic sound echoed through the cavern. Red Dragon’s long, thick tail swept across the ground, brushing aside scattered gold coins and precious trinkets, clearing a wide, open space for himself.
"I hope I wake up to something surprising," Kai Xiusu murmured, his golden eyes alight with quiet anticipation.
He closed his eyes slowly. His breathing deepened, growing longer and more deliberate. The ripples across his body began to rise and fall in rhythm with his breath.
The Fire Elemental Energy surged, gathering beneath his scales, forming a thick, nearly solid luminous membrane that wrapped tightly around the Red Dragon’s body. A sight rarely seen unfolded within the cavern—a colossal, thirty-meter-wide "cocoon" emerged, unlike any ordinary cocoon. Its surface shimmered with molten ripples, and within it lay not a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly, but the Red Dragon himself, on the brink of a mighty metamorphosis.
Perhaps, considering his race, it was more accurate to call it a Dragon Egg.
This was an instinctive protective measure from Kai Xiusu’s subconscious. Using the surplus energy, he wove a spell akin to 【Egg of Protection】. Any creature that touched the luminous membrane would be instantly reduced to ash by the searing heat—ensuring the vulnerable Red Dragon remained safe during this fragile state.
Molten magma began to well up from the ground.
And so, Kai Xiusu sank into deep slumber, lost in the embrace of the fiery depths—unknown when he would awaken.
Outside the cave, at the Iron Dragon Wing Palace...
"Move faster!"
"You bunch of lazy, sluggish fools!"
Lanpu’s sharp voice cut through the air. The towering Dragonblood Ogre Mage stood at the forefront, leading dozens of royal spellcasters in frantic preparations. Rune Arrays were being laid down with ruthless precision—explosions, poison mists, corrosive rains, and ground spikes were all packed into the single passage leading into the cave, turning the entrance into a deadly trap-laden graveyard, a place no adventurer would dare to approach.
Suddenly, Lanpu seized a mage mid-cast, his voice thundering with fury.
"Idiot! Who told you to place the Ice Spike here?!"
"If anyone breaches, they’ll trigger the ground Fire Wall first. Your damned Ice Spike won’t even touch them before it evaporates into steam!"
Trembling, the mage stammered, tears in his voice:
"Forgive me, Lanpu Lord... I—I made a mistake."
The Ogre tossed him aside with a grunt, then turned to inspect the Perpetual Defense Array. Glowing runes marked the boundaries of the cylindrical zone—no living being could enter without magic. The only way through was the path littered with traps.
But Lanpu’s sharp eyes caught the flaw instantly. He narrowed his gaze and barked,
"Who set up this Protection Ward?"
A Black-Cloaked Mage stepped forward, smirking with self-satisfaction. He believed he’d crafted a masterpiece—certain to earn praise from Lanpu.
But his confidence shattered in an instant.
"Look again, you fool!" Lanpu roared. "Your magic is reversed! This ward keeps people in, not out! It’s supposed to be a barrier against intruders, not a prison for allies!"
"Y-yes, Lanpu Lord!" The mage stammered, sweat pouring down his face. Lanpu’s foul breath, flecked with spittle, landed on his cheek—but he dared not flinch.
Lanpu’s authority was unquestioned in the kingdom. His funding for spell experiments depended entirely on this brutish Ogre’s goodwill.
Lanpu raised his staff, pointing fiercely at a dim, flickering glyph on the wall.
"Who’s responsible for this damned Guardian Glyph?!"
Silence fell. No one dared speak.
"Guardian Glyphs require incense and at least two hundred gold coins’ worth of Diamond Powder! Which idiot replaced the Diamond Powder with bone ash? Even goblins—whose brains are smaller than nutshells—wouldn’t pull such a pitiful scam. Do you really think I’m blind?"
Before he finished, a sudden hot wind swept through the chamber.
Whoosh—
The searing breath was so intense that even Lanpu, bearing Red Dragon bloodline, felt discomfort. The delicate, pale-skinned human mages shrieked, leaping back as their flesh blistered and began to peel. They scrambled to cast protective spells.
Yet the temperature kept rising—within mere breaths, it soared past forty degrees Celsius, far beyond any natural climate in Anzeta.
Lanpu’s brow furrowed. His expression turned grave.
"It’s Master," he said quietly. "He’s entered Deep Sleep."
"For so long, he suppressed his overwhelming energy. Now it can no longer be contained. It must be released."
He turned to the spellcasters.
"Everyone—leave. This place is no longer safe."
With a flick of his staff, a spatial rift tore open before them, leading directly to the Wizard Tower.
The mages exhaled in relief, scrambling through the portal like refugees fleeing a burning city.
Among them, a Gray-Cloaked Figure let out a long, quiet sigh—relief flooding his body. It was the very mage who’d cut corners. He was certain he’d escaped punishment.
But he didn’t know that even that single breath had been sensed by Lanpu’s keen perception.
The Ogre’s lips curled into a feral grin. His eyes gleamed with cold malice.
Not now, he thought. But you’ll pay for this. I’ll make sure of it.
Once all the mages had departed, Lanpu soared out of the palace alone. Thanks to his Red Dragon bloodline, he could still endure the rising heat.
He stared at the sealed entrance, feeling the air grow hotter with every pulse of energy from within. He could almost see the scene inside—the cavern, ablaze with molten light, the mighty Red Dragon in deep slumber, radiating power so vast it defied imagination.
"May you grow stronger," he whispered, his grotesque face etched with fanatical devotion.
"Until... you surpass the gods themselves."
(End of Chapter)
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