Duanmu Huai was very interested in the Ethereal Dragon, but not because of its combat power.
Although in the game, the Ethereal Dragon's combat power is indeed quite strong, as previously demonstrated, the Ethereal Dragon has no shield and relies purely on armor defense, and it's in big trouble once its structure is compromised. In the game, some player factions did, by chance, acquire an Ether Dragon juvenile, but they were generally taken out by other guilds at the first opportunity.
After all, the Ether Dragon is just hard to kill, not immortal, so taking it to the battlefield is a sheer luxury, something only the wealthy would do.
With the Tribunal Fleet's strength, it's merely nice to have an Ether Dragon, but not necessary. In terms of firepower, although it's stronger than a standard battleship, Duanmu Huai could easily build hundreds of battleships as long as he has the resources.
Comparing the two, it's clear which is more cost-effective.
