Ultimate Fighting

TL: GoldenLung

Bai Xiuxiu looked up at the massive dome and couldn't help but nod.

She had to admit, such a design was indeed well-suited for giant dragons—if a dragon flew home, being able to land directly inside the residence was certainly the most convenient.

Because of this design, the castle's main gate was no longer absurdly oversized—only four meters high. The deep-purple metal doors were already open, with four Blue Sea clan attendants standing guard.

"Knowing that you're rather close to the Blue Sea clan, I replaced all the servants here with them," Huang Yuanlang said with a smile. "Lunch should be ready. Shall we dine first?"

"Alright," Bai Xiuxiu replied. "You've put some thought into this, Brother."

Hearing her words, Huang Yuanlang's smile widened. He had indeed invested quite a bit of effort into this residence. But after returning from Celestial Dragon City and not being able to find Bai Xiuxiu, he had flown into quite a rage.

The main hall was decorated in white and gold. Murals lined the walls, all depicting scenes involving dragons.

Lan Xuanyu noticed that the most prominent mural—directly opposite the main entrance—portrayed a pitch-green giant dragon. Standing on the dragon's head was a figure clad in vicious-looking armor, holding a long spear. Strangely, spikes protruded from the figure's armored boots, piercing into the dragon's head as if to anchor him there.

Bai Xiuxiu noticed it too and asked Huang Yuanlang, "Who is that?"

With a touch of pride, Huang Yuanlang answered, "That is Lord Luo Lan, our family's patron and a mighty Dragon Knight. His mount is a Higher Dragon adept in lethal poison, called Mokong, which is why Lord Luo Lan is known as the Mokong Dragon Knight. Among the eighteen Dragon Knights, he ranks seventh."

"Your family's patron? He comes from your family?" Bai Xiuxiu asked curiously.

"Oh, no, not at all," Huang Yuanlang said quickly. "But our family is under Lord Luo Lan's protection." As he spoke, he led her toward the dining hall.

The dining table was a long one, with only a single chair at each end. The table was already laden with a sumptuous spread, much of it consisting of delicacies Lan Xuanyu and the others had never seen before—clearly specialties of Celestial Celestial Dragon Planet.

Huang Yuanlang personally pulled out Bai Xiuxiu's chair for her, then returned to his own seat at the other end.

"First, welcome back, my dear sister," Huang Yuanlang said warmly. "Let's drink a little Dragon Blood Tree sap—it's the sap of the Celestial Dragon Mother Tree, a rare and precious tonic for us." He raised his glass in her direction.

Bai Xiuxiu glanced at the pale-red liquid in her cup. It emitted a faint, strange scent, and just by looking at it, she could almost feel its heat.

Standing a short distance behind her, Lan Xuanyu couldn't help tensing. Bai Xiuxiu, however, didn't hesitate much—after toasting Huang Yuanlang, she took a small sip.

The Dragon Blood Tree sap was pleasantly sweet, better than she had expected. A wave of warmth instantly spread through her body, bringing a faint flush to her cheeks. Her bloodline stirred intensely, and faint dragon scales flickered into view on her skin.

Seeing this, Huang Yuanlang chuckled. "Your bloodline is truly strong, sister. When I first drank Dragon Blood Tree sap, I nearly revealed my true form. This sap is a great tonic for us, but it's poisonous to other races—drinking it would make their blood boil until it killed them."

Bai Xiuxiu's eyes narrowed. She understood—this was Huang Yuanlang testing her identity. If she had been human without any dragon bloodline, this drink would have been lethal.

In truth, she had no dragon bloodline of her own, but after fusing with the Demon Empress, her bloodline had evolved into that of an Abyssal Frost Demon Dragon—thus she suffered no ill effects. This also confirmed that the dragon clans of the human world and those here likely shared the same origin.

Lan Xuanyu's fists clenched subconsciously. He had already prepared to strike—if Xiuxiu had reacted badly to the sap, Huang Yuanlang would have been facing his Nirvanic Divine Lightning in an instant.

Setting down her cup, Bai Xiuxiu leaned back, her expression turning icy.

"What's wrong, sister?" Huang Yuanlang asked.

She fixed him with a cold stare. "You knew this could force me into transformation—why didn't you warn me? Were you hoping to embarrass me?"

"Wronged! You wrong me, sister!" Huang Yuanlang protested. "Your situation is different from mine back then. When I first tried it, I hadn't yet come of age—my human form was barely stable. For you, at most, the dragon scales would appear fully on your body; you wouldn't revert to your true form. This sap is incredibly expensive—just this bit came from my father, gifted by a Dragon Knight. It's a priceless treasure. I've never had the heart to drink it until now, taking it out especially to honor you."

Bai Xiuxiu's expression softened slightly. "Then you should have explained first. Or are you taking advantage of my being from the Blue Sea clan, thinking I don't know anything?"

Huang Yuanlang slapped his forehead. She really was a difficult one to handle.

With his status, few women would act like this around him—especially since the ability to transform into human form was a mark of strength. But this one remained aloof, cold most of the time, and quick to flare up—not easy to get close to at all.

Of course, he had no idea that Bai Xiuxiu was doing this deliberately, to keep him from getting too close.

"My fault, sister. Next time I'll give advance warning. Please, eat—everything else is perfectly normal food."

By comparison, Celestial Celestial Dragon Planet's cuisine wasn't particularly refined; heavy with spices, the flavors were unusual. Bai Xiuxiu didn't eat much.

"Last time you suddenly left for Celestial Dragon City—was something wrong? I heard even warships showed up?" she asked while eating.

Huang Yuanlang nodded. "Something major happened. The Spaceborne Clan had a huge problem—they lost something extremely important. And the resource planet where they mine Space Origin Crystals exploded—badly damaged, apparently. The crystals you bought last time have now gone up tenfold in price, incredibly scarce. If you want to cash out those Space Origin Crystals, you can give them to me—I'll handle it for you."

"I sold them long ago," Bai Xiuxiu replied flatly. "What would I need those for?"

"You sold them?" Huang Yuanlang looked regretful. "That's a pity. Space Origin Crystals aren't very useful to us—we don't have space attributes, so they're hard to use for cultivation or crafting. But for the Spaceborne Clan, they're invaluable, and they're now buying them back at sky-high prices."

"And what about the trouble they caused last time?" Bai Xiuxiu asked. "They actually dared to send warships to make a scene on our Celestial Celestial Dragon Planet?"

Huang Yuanlang snorted. "Ignorant of death, that's what. Even though the Head wasn't here at the time, one of the Dragon Knights in charge gave them a harsh lesson, making it clear who rules the Dragon Horse Galaxy. Still, this time the Spaceborne Clan was different—they seemed desperate, ready to go down with us if they didn't get that thing back. In the end, the Head returned and calmed things down. I'm not sure exactly how. But now the Head has ordered the retrieval of Space Origin Crystals, and their price has skyrocketed and stayed high."

"We're buying them too?" Bai Xiuxiu asked.