Chapter 429: Astonishing Rewards

Chapter 429: Astonishing Rewards

As the voice of the King of the Titanium Cobalt Dragons fell, all eyes in the grand hall turned to Ji Xinghuo, even the True Dragons who were the Dragon King's personal guards looked over, their dragon eyes filled with shock and curiosity.

The genius legends, however, were mostly envious, and some even gasped aloud.

Ji Xinghuo himself was stunned!

The rewards offered by the Titanium Cobalt Dragon King far exceeded what the Dragon Festival champion deserved. Just the first reward, special permission to enter the "Titanium Cobalt Dragon Nursery" once, would be enough to drive countless people crazy.

Each True Dragon family had a dragon nursery, responsible for incubating dragon eggs, rearing dragon pups, feeding, training, and more. It could be said that the dragon nursery was the most core institution of a True Dragon family, the source of their power, and the foundation of their rise!

The Titanium Cobalt family was no exception.

In the Yuan Magnet Territory, the Cobalt-Titanium family had established hundreds of dragon nurseries, most of them in the Star Realm, with a few built on planets.

These dragon nurseries were divided into multiple levels according to the types of dragons they nurtured.

But only one could bear the prefix "Titanium Cobalt", being the highest-level dragon nursery of the Titanium Cobalt family, located within the Upper Cobalt Ring City in the Yuan Magnet Palace's Metal Mountains. It was the core forbidden area of the Titanium Cobalt family.

Because the Titanium Cobalt Dragon Nursery was responsible for rearing Titanium Cobalt Dragons!

Rumor had it that the Titanium Cobalt Dragon Nursery also housed other Divine Dragon species and numerous rare dragons second only to the Divine Dragon species.

Entering the Titanium Cobalt Dragon Nursery gave one the opportunity to obtain a Divine Dragon species!

Even if one missed that chance, the other rare dragons within were still far more powerful than common dragons, and this was an opportunity that countless True Dragonfolk dreamed of.

And now, the Dragon King had offered this opportunity to a barbarian.

As for the second reward—being bestowed the surname Titanium Cobalt and becoming a direct bloodline member of the Titanium Cobalt family—it was clear that the Dragon King had given this careful thought.

This not only solved the issue of "Jin's" racial background but also ensured his better loyalty and service to the family.

The True Dragonfolk were the ruling class of the dynasty.

However, there were great differences even among the True Dragonfolk. The vast majority of them were eliminated in the competition and did not have the opportunity to obtain a dragon, so they could only choose to evolve in other ways.

If one could not evolve to the Fifth Stage, they were not even worthy of having a bloodline surname.

And even among Dragon Lords, most possessed only ordinary dragon species, and compared to the direct bloodline members of their families, they lagged far behind in terms of strength, resources, and status.

There were also differences in status among the True Dragon families.

Only a small number of dragons, those who had formed small families around a Dragon Lord, naturally could not compare to the families with fiefdoms who could establish dragon nurseries on a large scale;

Above the fiefdom families were the Dragon Noble families, where so-called Dragon Nobles were Dragon Lords or Dragon Warriors with Seventh Stage power but no dragon territory.

Even more exalted than the Dragon Noble families were the Dragon King families.

There were also differences among the Dragon King families.

The Divine Dragon bloodline was more powerful and profound than other True Dragon bloodlines, and the Titanium Cobalt family was one of them. They were the rulers at the pinnacle of the True Dragon dynasty pyramid, and even within the Titanium Cobalt family, there was a distinction between the direct and collateral lines, with the direct line members enjoying far greater rights and benefits than the collateral ones.

Currently, there were fewer than a hundred direct line members in the Titanium Cobalt family.

Almost every one of them was a peerlessly talented individual, half of whom possessed Titanium Cobalt Dragons, and the remaining half, even without Titanium Cobalt Dragons, were still incredibly powerful and rare, forming the pillars of the family's strength.

Jin was just a barbarian.

And now, he had been personally selected by the Titanium Cobalt Dragon King to become a direct member of the family, soaring from the lowest to the highest status, a feat that could not be described as "rising to prominence".

Many True Dragonfolk gazed on with envious eyes that shone with a hint of redness.

Of course, Ji Xinghuo would not refuse.

But he was well aware that there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. The Titanium Cobalt Dragon King's generosity and astonishing rewards were clearly because he valued Ji Xinghuo's talent and potential, seeking to buy his loyalty and have him contribute to the Titanium Cobalt family in the future.

As for being bestowed the surname Titanium Cobalt, Ji Xinghuo did not feel any psychological burden; it was just a code name.

What did it matter to me if Jin changed his surname to Titanium Cobalt?

Ji Xinghuo was about to speak his acceptance when a voice rang out from below the throne, "Your Majesty! Isn't this a bit too much of a favor for a barbarian?"

Everyone looked towards the speaker.

It was a woman clad in dragon-patterned battle armor, with a tall and slender figure, and a face that was alluring yet not vulgar. The most striking feature was her head of flame-like long hair that billowed behind her like a cape, and the terrifying aura she exuded, reaching the realm of a Star Shepherd.

Standing below the throne, her status in this place was second only to the Titanium Cobalt Dragon King, and it was easy to guess her identity.

Titanium Cobalt Yanluo!

When Ji Xinghuo had first arrived in the Yuan Magnet Territory, Cheng Qian had introduced him to the top powerhouses of the territory, a total of nine individuals.

Naturally, the strongest was the Titanium Cobalt Dragon King.

Of the remaining eight, four were from the Titanium Cobalt family, and the other four included two Dragon Nobles from fiefdom families and two Star Shepherds from foreign races.

They all obeyed the Titanium Cobalt Dragon King, and Titanium Cobalt Yanluo was one of them, with a close relationship to the Dragon King. There were even rumors that she was the Dragon King's lover, but no one knew the truth. Nonetheless, she was a major figure in the Yuan Magnet Territory, wielding immense influence.

Ji Xinghuo frowned inwardly.

This Titanium Cobalt Yanluo, I've never offended her, so why is she trying to stop the Dragon King's reward?

"Hmm?"

The Titanium Cobalt Dragon King turned to look at Titanium Cobalt Yanluo, his face showing displeasure, "Yanluo, are you questioning my decision?"

"I dare not!" Titanium Cobalt Yanluo immediately knelt on one knee and bowed her head in respect, explaining, "I am only considering Your Majesty's reputation. After all, Jin is a barbarian, a lower race, yet he has suddenly been granted entry into the direct line of the Titanium Cobalt family. When this news spreads, many True Dragonfolk will surely be unable to accept it, and it will damage the family's reputation.

"I suggest that we keep Jin's opportunity to enter the Titanium Cobalt Dragon Nursery, but after he merges with the Ancestral Dragon bloodline, let him gain the identity of a True Dragon person. However, do not bestow upon him the surname Titanium Cobalt, nor allow him to join the direct bloodline of the Titanium Cobalt family. Let him remain as a follower of Titanium Cobalt Blue."

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

Titanium Cobalt Yanluo's tone was earnest and her expression solemn as she knelt halfway, awaiting the Titanium Cobalt Dragon King's response.

The grand hall was so silent, one could hear a pin drop.

Standing at the forefront, Ji Xinghuo couldn't see the reactions of the others, but he could guess that Titanium Cobalt Yanluo's words had gained the approval of many True Dragonfolk in the hall, including the Dragon King's personal guards on both sides.

The True Dragon Empire was a nation built upon bloodline, with a strict class system that was even more deeply rooted than a caste system.

The higher one's position and the more superior their race, the more vigorously they maintained this system.

The True Dragonfolk were the greatest beneficiaries of this system.

"Thank you for your concern, Yanluo," the Titanium Cobalt Dragon King finally spoke, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

His gaze swept across the crowd and finally landed on Ji Xinghuo. "Jin, what are your thoughts on this?"

"I will abide by Your Majesty's decision," Ji Xinghuo replied.

The Titanium Cobalt Dragon King's eyebrows rose. Normally, this would be the time for Ji Xinghuo to argue for himself, refute Titanium Cobalt Yanluo's statements, or express his loyalty to the Titanium Cobalt family to ensure the rewards were fulfilled.

But Ji Xinghuo remained silent.

This was actually an implicit statement—firstly, that he didn't care about racial prejudices and was indifferent to whether or not he became a member of the Titanium Cobalt family; and secondly, that he was giving the Titanium Cobalt Dragon King a way to step down and preserve both his and the family's reputation.

"Reputation, dignity, prestige..." The Titanium Cobalt Dragon King's majestic face suddenly wore a mocking expression. "In the face of power, these are all but empty titles."

Titanium Cobalt Yanluo's face paled.

Just as she was about to argue further, she heard the Titanium Cobalt Dragon King continue, "Since you don't want to argue for yourself, Jin, we will do as Yanluo suggests. However, even if you don't bear the surname Titanium Cobalt, you are still a part of my Titanium Cobalt family from now on."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Ji Xinghuo replied loudly.

This was a very good outcome for him.

He had secured the most substantial benefit—the opportunity to obtain a Divine Dragon species.

As for the surname and direct membership in the Titanium Cobalt family, while others might see it as a missed opportunity of a lifetime, for him, it actually lessened his burden and gave him more freedom in the future.

The Titanium Cobalt Dragon King continued to bestow rewards upon the others.

The top ten of the World-Ending Dragon Ceremony all received a chance to choose a dragon, but aside from Ji Xinghuo, the others could only enter a lower-level dragon nursery.

This included Gu Xingli.

Even so, Gu Xingli's usually cold face couldn't hide his excitement. For a pseudo-dragon person, there was nothing more thrilling than becoming a True Dragon person and a Dragon Lord, even though his current strength far surpassed that of countless True Dragonfolk.

It was a desire etched into the genes of pseudo-dragon people, never to be changed.

Among the top ten, only Titanium Cobalt Zhenhe gave up the chance to choose a dragon and instead opted for etherium crystals as his reward.

There were also two Dragon Lords, ranked seventh and ninth, who already had dragons. The seventh-ranked individual was a "Twin Dragon Lord," possessing two dragons, but he still wanted to enter the dragon nursery to choose more dragons.

The eleventh-ranked legendary genius also received the opportunity to become a Dragon Lord and was overjoyed.

The remaining geniuses, according to their rankings, received a substantial amount of etherium crystals.

Next were the rewards for the Killing Rankings.

Ji Xinghuo was still ranked first, and by a large margin.

The Titanium Cobalt Dragon King had prepared generous rewards for the Killing Rankings: exotic species, etherium crystals, weapons, treasures, battle pets, expansion curios, various precious potions, cultivation resources, and even a fiefdom of 100,000 square kilometers.

Ji Xinghuo had the priority to choose.

He had his eyes on two treasures. The first was a Star Initiation One weapon called "Thunderstorm."

It was a spiritual energy sword that could manipulate metal, allowing the entire sword to disintegrate into countless super-conducting needles, forming a thunderstorm-like attack that combined electrical and physical damage. It was an extremely powerful weapon specially crafted by the Titanium Cobalt family.

The second item was an expansion curiosity called the "Doomsday Dragon Eye."

Made from the eyes of a deceased True Dragon, it granted Fifth and Sixth Stage hybrids an additional fusion opportunity and could only be used once.

The Doomsday Dragon Eye was extremely rare and was usually only allocated to direct members of the Titanium Cobalt family. One such item was offered as a reward in this World-Ending Dragon Ceremony.

However, Ji Xinghuo could only choose one.

In terms of value, the Star Initiation One "Thunderstorm" was undoubtedly higher, and it could easily fetch over ten thousand etherium crystals, if not more. Most people would choose it.

While the Doomsday Dragon Eye was rare, expansion curios could be substituted with other items.

But Ji Xinghuo's need for expansion curios was greater.

He glanced at Gu Xingli and Titanium Cobalt Zhenhe beside him and immediately came up with a solution. Thus, he said, "Your Majesty, I choose Thunderstorm."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end