Trial Space.
The Plateau of Power is surrounded by the sea.
The northern strait arcs like a giant bow.
The Hunting Bow Strait stretches hundreds of miles wide, and on the other side lies the Dragon Kingdom.
On ordinary days, a thick, magical fog lingers over the strait.
Anyone who enters the fog will immediately lose their way.
No matter how they navigate, upon finally escaping the fog, they'll always find themselves back where they started.
The fog is actually a magical barrier, separating the Plateau of Power from the Dragon Kingdom, forcibly preventing a conflict between the sworn enemies, dragons and giants.
Only one day each year does the fog dissipate over the strait.
Dragons always seize this opportunity, flying across the Hunting Bow Strait in droves to invade the Plateau of Power, showcasing their strength and courage by hunting giants.
Wouldn't the giants also want to seize this opportunity to invade the Dragon Kingdom?
Unfortunately, with the exception of Storm Giants and Cloud Giants, other giant tribes lacked the ability to fly and were unable to cross the strait.
In the end, during this annual slaughter celebration, the giants could only passively adopt a defensive stance.
A resounding alarm bell rang out from the Cloud Temple.
Simultaneously, a swarm of dragons appeared above the sea.
This expeditionary force to the plateau consisted of five hundred dragons.
Each of the five dragon tribes contributed one hundred.
Juvenile and young dragons formed the majority of the expeditionary force, with strength equivalent to that of fourth- to fifth-tier dragon vein sorcerers.
Officers for each dragon tribe were adult dragons, with strength comparable to that of sixth-tier dragon vein sorcerers.
Among the dragons were five trialists who had activated their ancestral forms.
They were all dragon vein sorcerers from the Northern Island Federation.
The leading Red Dragon Warlock was none other than Phoebus.
Since participating in the Trial, he had made significant progress, recently advancing to the late sixth stage.
In terms of rank alone, Phoebus was firmly in the top three among all the participants.
Currently, only "White Tiger Martial Lord" Shiva and "Spider Queen" Caroline were on his level.
Shiva was the abbot of the Silver Moon Monastery.
Caroline was the Pope of the Beast Cult.
And Phoebus was nothing more than a street kid.
Thanks entirely to his talent and the opportunities he forged through desperate struggle, he had cultivated for over twenty years in a secret realm on the brink of collapse. His current achievements were reason for pride!
However, Phoebus was not satisfied.
His ambitions grew rapidly as his strength grew!
He believed he was born to be the best, to crush all competitors and stand alone at the top!
In the past, he possessed talent but suffered from a lack of opportunity.
He had no choice but to curry favor with young ladies from aristocratic families, obtaining money and training resources to secure a letter of recommendation for admission to the Warlock Academy.
Alas, not all wealthy and beautiful women are as naive as Renee.
Phoebus's second girlfriend, Lida, was even more realistic.
She had decisively abandoned the impoverished Phoebus to cling to Cliff's influence.
And when Phoebus returned from the secret realm and killed Cliff right in front of her, Lida didn't hesitate and returned to her ex-boyfriend's arms.
Adapting to the changing circumstances is understandable.
But everything is afraid of comparison.
For a man like Phoebus, what he can't have is always the best.
Lida, that woman, was too soft-hearted and fell to her knees too quickly.
Conquering her too easily, lacking any aftertaste, inevitably made him look down on her.
On the other hand, Renée actually disdained his soaring ex-boyfriend and devotedly guarded Alan.
Phoebus's hatred was raw, yet it also fueled a strong desire to conquer.
If Origin City hadn't prohibited infighting, he would have long since wanted to kill Alan and reclaim Renée!
Of course, Phoebus knew that Alan was no pushover.
The beating he suffered from Alan had left a psychological scar on him.
But things were different now!
The Origin City trials had given Phoebus a platform to realize his talent.
A true genius must transform and stand out amidst fierce competition!
Phoebus had a vague premonition.
Today's battle between dragons and giants is a godsend opportunity to complete my transformation and stand out!
Boom!!
A sudden thunderclap overhead interrupted Phoebus's reverie.
The flying dragons, startled by the thunder, looked up.
The once clear sky suddenly turned cloudy, thick with dark clouds.
The strong wind whipped up the waves, and torrential rain followed!
The weather changed so swiftly, without a single warning.
This was clearly not a naturally occurring storm.
Have the storm giants finally taken action?
The dragons knew their nemesis well.
The ability to change the weather so quickly and over such a large area, to create a violent storm out of thin air, could only be the seventh-level magic of "Weather Control."
It's easy to imagine that the priests of the Cloud Temple, upon discovering the dragons' approach, must have joined forces to perform this spell, sealing off their airspace.
The storm intensified, darkening the sea and sky.
In such extreme weather, the dragons' flight capabilities were severely limited.
Flying through the storm was already strenuous enough.
To make matters worse, the dense, dark clouds overhead flashed with lightning.
Flying too high, nearing thunderstorms, risked being struck by lightning!
With the exception of the blue dragons, naturally resistant to electric shock, other dragons dared not confront the might of nature with their mortal bodies!
Even a single strike from the thunderbolt was too much for even the strongest dragons.
The sixth-rank elders within the dragon group roared.
They warned their younger compatriots to follow their lead, lower their altitude, and land on the coast as quickly as possible.
Although a large group of heavily armed giant warriors had already lined up along the coast, ready for battle, fighting a giant was always better than being struck by lightning in vain.
The adult dragons' concerns were soon realized.
Thunder roared again in the sky.
A massive shadow drifted down, enveloping the dragons below.
The young dragons couldn't help but panic and stir! Within the dark clouds, the silhouette of a giant blue roc loomed.
From head to tail, it measured sixty meters! Its wingspan, spread wide, blocked the clouds, with a wingspan of no less than a hundred meters! What kind of monster was that? It was so enormous! Compared to it, the dragons looked like fledglings.
What shocked the dragons even more was that this giant bird was not only enormous, but also completely unaffected by the violent air currents at high altitude, soaring swiftly and steadily.
In a flash, it caught up, and above the dragons' heads, a heart-wrenching cry erupted!
The roc's cry summoned a thunderstorm from the sky!
Lightning rained down, crackling and pounding.
Each thick bolt struck the dragon's back with pinpoint accuracy.
In the aftermath, lightning flashed, scales flew, flesh charred, and a tragic wail followed...
The storm further amplified the lightning's destructive power.
The dragons struck, though not in life-threatening condition, were nonetheless severely injured.
Even greater than the physical pain was the psychological impact.
Facing an unknown, enormous monster, any normal person would feel fear.
The fear of the unknown, enormous creature isn't limited to humans.
Dragons share this fear.
What does a chick feel when it sees an eagle? At this moment, the dragons shared the same sentiment.
The dragon army, once arranged in a dense formation, was frightened by the mighty roc and scattered, each fighting on its own.
"Damn it! Where did this giant bird come from? I've never heard of such a giant!!"
White dragon sorcerer Penny screamed in exasperation.
"That monster doesn't look like a giant."
Blue dragon sorcerer Aslan gazed up at the roc, his eyes grim.
"What do you think? Is there a possibility that the monster is actually a trialist who has joined the giants?"
Aslan's speculation caused a stir.
The dragon sorcerers instinctively wanted to deny this possibility.
This wasn't a conclusion based on rational analysis.
It was simply that they subconsciously didn't want such a powerful rival to exist.
However, deceiving themselves was futile.
Calm down and think about it. Aslan's guess... might just be the truth!
"The question is, which trial-taker possesses such terrifying power that could intimidate a group of dragons?"
Green Dragon Warlock Cohen followed Aslan's line of thought.
"That giant bird's strength couldn't possibly be lower than level six!"
Black Dragon Warlock Dudar took over.
"Caroline or Shiva... I can't think of any other possibilities besides them."
"The Spider Queen doesn't fight like that."
Aslan knew his future mother-in-law quite well.
"But if the giant bird's true form is the White Tiger Martial Lord... it doesn't look like it!"
"What's the point of all your guesses!"
Phoebus coldly interrupted the discussion.
"Never mind whether that giant bird is a trial-taker or not. Since it's our enemy, it must die!"
"Aslan, you are of blue dragon bloodline, impervious to electric shocks. You've also awakened 'Freedom of Movement,' allowing you to fly unimpeded by storms."
"You fly high and pin down that giant bird. I'll follow in stealth and find an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow!"
Aslan was a nobleman after all, and he disliked Phoebus's arrogant tone, treating him like a servant.
But to be fair, Phoebus's proposal had its merits.
Just as he was weighing the pros and cons, a mental wave suddenly entered his mind.
This kind of communication magic, without a light ball appearing out of thin air, was new to Aslan.
As he read the message, he wondered how the other party had achieved this feat. "Aslan, what are you daydreaming about? Hurry up!"
Phoebus urged impatiently.
Aslan looked up, his eyes flickering slightly.
"Excuse me, Mr. Phoebus, I don't agree with your plan."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Phoebus's face darkened.
"We have two goals for this trip," Aslan said calmly.
"First, to hunt giants, refine soul jades, bring them back to the Dragon Palace as a sacrifice, and enhance our own strength."
"Second, to find an opportunity to infiltrate the Giant Temple and destroy the Titan!"
Dragon Vein Warlocks have two ways to grow.
The first is the warlock's practice, atavistic meditation, and advancement in rank.
The second is the true dragon's way, automatically gaining all-round enhancements as they age.
As a warlock, Aslan's strength is comparable to that of an adult blue dragon.
However, as a dragon-veined creature, his age is only that of a young dragon.
The same applies to other dragon-veined sorcerers.
Normally, dragon-veined sorcerers can't sleep for decades like true dragons and automatically level up upon waking.
However, by hunting giants, sealing their souls, and sacrificing sufficient soul jades at the Dragon Palace, they can age up!
From "Young Dragon" to "Young Adult Dragon," the sorcerer's rank remains unchanged, but all attributes and dragon-scale armor are significantly improved!
It's like gaining an additional elite template!
Furthermore, if they can complete the second mission and destroy the Titan, the Dragon Palace will grant an additional reward.
It's said that this is likely a "Level 3 Anti-Aging Agent"!
After the injection, one's youth and lifespan will be extended... by a full 100 years!
With such a generous reward, who wouldn't be tempted?
"Mr. Phoebus, that giant bird in the sky doesn't directly conflict with our two missions."
"I don't think it's worth wasting our time here."
"Besides, if he's truly a Trialist, he'd be carrying a life-saving ring, making it impossible for us to truly kill him."
"Why should we offend him and create another formidable enemy?"
Cohen, Dudar, and Penny all nodded in agreement with Aslan's opinion.
Without waiting for Phoebus to speak, the four of them formed a team and entered the battlefield to hunt the giant.
Phoebus watched them retreat with a cold look in his eyes.
"My dear, Aslan and the others are clearly trying to exclude you,"
Lida said indignantly.
"I'm not blind; of course I can see that!"
Phoebus gritted his teeth.
"These high-handed young men and women from aristocratic families look down on my background, envy my talent, and gang up on me!"
"Just wait and see. Sooner or later, they'll be like dogs, kneeling at my feet and wagging their tails for mercy!"
Though his words were harsh, Phoebus's actions were honest.
Without Aslan as a human shield to block the lightning, he didn't want to fight the unidentified giant bird in the sky alone.
Taking Lydia with him, they hurried to the Cloud Temple.
…
A blue roc hovered in the thunderclouds.
Deep, piercing eyes glared down at the dragons below.
Alan, transformed into the Sky Roc, enhanced with the "Giant Transformation Technique" and "Freedom of Movement," doubled its size, allowing it to fly unaffected by high-altitude wind pressure.
Its own electrical resistance was sufficient to protect it from the lightning produced by the collision of cumulonimbus clouds.
The raging storm multiplied the power of the fifth-level spell "Summon Thunderstorm," quickly dispersing the dragons.
Alan's goal on this mission was to intercept the dragons, force them to descend to the ground, and engage the giant army head-on.
Otherwise, the dragon army would firmly control the air superiority, leaving the vast majority of giants to take the beating on the ground, and the battle would be impossible.
After completing this mission, he would have the confidence to claim the Titan Bloodline Essence during the post-battle rewards ceremony!
As for the threat posed by the dragon vein sorcerers, it was temporarily alleviated after his communication with Aslan.
Alan had a good impression of Aslan.
This young man was quite reasonable, understanding that cooperation is mutually beneficial, while conflict is mutually detrimental.
Of course, it's possible that Aslan was giving him a favor out of consideration for his sister-in-law, Spanna. At this moment, a dragon roared from beneath the clouds.
Alan's Sky Behemoth bloodline grants him "Mist Vision."
His vision, piercing the clouds and rain, pierced the obstruction and saw a group of blue dragons in the distance, flying towards him in the rain.
The leading blue dragon looked like a Level 6 adult.
The four smaller blue dragons following behind were all Level 5 young dragons.
It seemed the dragon clan had formed a special task force, tasked with hunting down the Sky Roc.
These blue dragons possessed extremely high resistance to lightning.
They were also blessed with the fourth-level magic of "Freedom of Movement," soaring swiftly through the storm, drawing ever closer to Alan's airspace.
Fighting single-handedly against a Level 6 blue dragon and four Level 5 blue dragons, Alan could win, but it wouldn't be easy.
Today's battle had just begun, and Allen didn't want to expend too much magic power and energy now, which would affect subsequent operations.
Therefore, he didn't intend to engage these dragons head-on.
The storm and thunder couldn't stop the dragons from approaching.
Luckily, Allen possessed more than just wind and thunder.
With a cold chuckle, he folded his wings and disappeared into the thick dark clouds.
The dragons chased after the roc, but saw no sign of it. Ahead lay an endless expanse of crimson clouds covering the sky.
From deep within the clouds, flashes of lightning occasionally punctuated the dark clouds with a golden rim, briefly illuminating the sky.
After a brief hesitation, the dragons plunged into the clouds, pursuing the roc.
Deep within the clouds, there was no sign of their prey.
Busy searching, the dragons failed to notice as a vast cloud of mist quietly drifted in and enveloped them.
Three-phase phantom, steam form!
Alan transformed from the majestic roc into gaseous form, blending seamlessly with the high-altitude clouds, successfully deceiving the blue dragons.
Seizing the dragon's moment of carelessness, the steam drifted over, suddenly unleashing a bitter cold current!
Swish!
A flash of white light, and the temperature plummeted!
The five blue dragons, caught off guard, were instantly engulfed by the "Ice Soul Freezing Wave"!
The weaker young blue dragon was instantly frozen into a ball of ice.
Like four pale blue meteorites, they fell uncontrollably from a thousand meters in the air.
Level 6 blue dragons are even more resilient.
The moment they were frozen, they struggled desperately!
With a crackling sound, they broke through the solid ice that enveloped them!
Stretching their stiff wings, they barely glided through the air.
At that moment, a vast shadow suddenly descended overhead...
The blue dragon looked up in panic.
To his astonishment, the previously mysteriously missing blue-winged giant roc had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
It broke through the clouds and swooped down directly towards him!
The blue dragon cried out in horror, flapping its wings frantically.
Like a sparrow trying to escape an eagle's claws.
However, its wings, nearly frozen, could no longer sustain high-speed flight.
Finally, it was caught head-on by a massive bird's claw!
Puff!
The Behemoth's armor-piercing claws, combined with a burst of bone-crushing force, instantly crushed the blue dragon's skull.
In its final moments, the blue dragon launched a final counterattack.
It spurted out a bolt of blood-stained lightning.
The final dragon's breath failed to penetrate Allen's electrical resistance.
It only added a few touches of crimson to the magnificent feathers of the Great Roc, like a plum blossom painted with dragon blood.
Drop by drop—
"Consume special ingredient: Adult blue dragon blood!"
"Potential +4!"
"Constance +1!"
"Consume special ingredient: Adult blue dragon's basal blood vessels!"
"Potential +4!"
"Constance +1!"
Current Attributes: Constitution 66, Agility 60, Spirit 65
Current Resistances: Virus Level 8 / Electricity Level 7 / Sonic Level 7 / Cold Level 5 / Acid Level 6 / Negative Energy Level 7
Potential Reserve: 41 points
…
The majestic roc, its beak stained red with dragon blood.
Bone spurs flickered from its left claw, drawing the essence of the blue dragon's bloodline.
A gleaming magic stone clung to its right claw.
Alan softly chanted a spell, sealing the dragon's soul with the magic stone.
Abandoning the dragon's corpse, drained of its value, it spread its wings and swooped down. Four fifth-tier blue dragons, frozen solid, plummeted from the sky, creating four conspicuous craters on the beach. The impact of the impact shattered the ice shells and broke the blue dragons' spines. Paralyzed in the pit, they endured the pain and let out desperate roars, trying to call for help from their companions. A massive shadow fell over them, shattering their hopes of survival. Their cries for help turned into desperate wails. Alan felt no mercy. Just before landing, he transformed into a giant beast and leaped from a hundred feet. The giant beast trampled! Boom! The earth shook, and mud and sand flew into the air! The waves that had just broken onto the beach were driven back by the shockwaves from the giant beast's trampling, as if they had collided head-on with invisible reefs.
The four blue dragons were crushed to a pulp.
Alan held a magic stone in each hand and chanted a spell to absorb the dragon souls.
Five blue dragons, just enough to fill two magic stones, transformed into saturated soul jades.
Satisfied, Alan collected the soul jades and turned to the chaotic battle zone across the beach to select the next "lucky winner."
…
Boom!
Amidst thunder, the giant dragon fell.
The once-arrogant sixth-level red dragon collapsed on the plateau.
Electricity flashed and crackled throughout its body.
It felt as if countless shimmering venomous snakes were tearing through its scales and frantically devouring its flesh.
The electrocuted red dragon twitched and struggled, its eyes filled with resentment.
Until a ferocious giant foot suddenly stomped down.
Puff!
The red dragon's head was crushed on the spot.
It shuddered, then ceased its struggle.
A stream of urine gushed uncontrollably from its crotch.
The giant beast, Allen, covered his nose, annoyed by the smell of urine emanating from the red dragon's near-death incontinence.
"A dignified sixth-rank red dragon actually peed himself out of fear. What a loser!"
Removing his foot, Allen bent down, grabbed the red dragon's neck, and dragged it up from the ground.
Turning to the beach, he rinsed it in the water.
After washing it, he gutted it, drank its blood, and devoured its heart.
The remaining dragon meat, though no longer smelled of urine, was still unpleasant to the senses, so he decided not to eat it...
After all, there were plenty of fresh ingredients around, so a bite wouldn't hurt.
...
Drip—
"Consume special ingredient: Adult red dragon blood!"
"Potential +4!"
"Constitution +1!"
"Consume special ingredient: Adult red dragon's basal blood vessels!"
"Potential +4!"
"Constitution +1!"
Current attributes: Constitution 68, Agility 60, Spirit 65
"Absorb fire resistance?"
"Yes!"
Drip—
"Fire resistance absorbed!"
Current resistances: Virus Level 8 / Electricity Level 7 / Sonic Level 7 / Cold Level 5 / Acid Level 6 / Negative Energy Level 7 / Fire Level 5
Potential reserve: 49 points
...
Behemoth Allen, close the system panel.
Freeing his hand, he scooped up the Fire Magic Stone and absorbed the red dragon's soul.
Just saturated, it transformed into a fiery red Soul Jade.
It was almost dusk.
The battle between the dragons and the giants continued.
When the sun set and the fog reappeared over the strait, the dragon invaders would retreat the same way, marking the end of the melee.
Alan had already accumulated ten Soul Jades in his storage bag.
Each of the five-colored dragons received two Soul Jades.
Alan deliberately hunted each of the five-colored dragons equally.
According to the information provided by Feng, only by gathering all the five-colored dragon Soul Jades could one have a chance to obtain the Titan inheritance.
The more one accumulated, the higher the quality, and the greater the chance of obtaining the bloodline of a Silver or even Gold Titan.
Furthermore, Alan had another matter to verify.
Before today, he had already eaten a green dragon, a black dragon, and a white dragon.
However, none of them could be considered genuine, true dragons.
They were all transformed by dragon vein sorcerers who had regressed and become possessed.
Alan wanted to test whether a true dragon and a possessed dragon vein sorcerer of the same type could be considered the same kind of food.
The result was somewhat disappointing.
After eating a possessed sorcerer, eating a true dragon of the same type hadn't brought him any benefits.
So far, Alan had tasted the flesh and blood of all five-colored dragons.
If he wanted to continue exploiting the dragon race and obtain specialized ingredients in the future, he would have to target metallic dragons or other, even rarer, species.
Unfortunately, other than five-colored dragons, no other types of dragons seemed to exist in the trial space.
Alan rubbed his stomach and sighed regretfully.
I haven't had enough yet...
Turning around, he looked at the cloud giant General Norman, who was battling a dragon in the distance.
Alan licked his lips, his eyes flickering.
Until he obtains the Titan Bloodline Essence, he must remain loyal to the Titan faction and refrain from any actions that harm the Titans' interests.
If it weren't for this restriction, he'd have wanted to defect at the last minute and harvest fresh ingredients from the various Titans.
Norman swung his greatsword, cleaving down a Level 5 red dragon.
Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, he sensed the malicious gaze of the Sky Behemoth.
Norman shuddered and turned and ran!
As he fled, he mentally cursed, "Shameless brat, you call this Storm Giant Bloodline?!"
Alan's performance in this melee was astonishing!
Not only did the dragons flee in terror at the sight of him from afar, but the Titans were also intimidated by his Sky Roc and Behemoth forms, avoiding him as much as possible!
"Strange, why are you all avoiding me?"
Alan shook his head in confusion.
"I don't eat humans, what's there to be afraid of? Racial discrimination?"
"Um... sorry, I think I do."
At this moment, the alarm bells blared again from the Cloud Temple.
The rapid horn blasts announced that the temple was under invasion!