Chapter 33: Scytheclaw Rex

He Luo Xiao wasn’t some obedient house dog!

The fall of Eastward Fortress was inevitable. Without even needing to stir the pot, Wutu had effortlessly shattered the stronghold. Luo Xiao didn’t have to reveal his betrayal openly—just quietly eliminate every messenger sent to warn the capital. Let Wutu’s rebel forces push deeper into the heartland of the Zulong City-State for a few more days…

Too bad the pastoral scholars from Ronggu City’s Dragon-Taming Academy were such a nuisance. Luo Xiao would have to handle them himself.

No need to kill them all. Just take care of those three dragon-riders on the eagle-lizards. Once they were gone, even if the fake dragons managed to fly into Zulong’s territory, it’d be too late.

Of course, the fact that Zhu Minglang was among them? A delightful surprise.

Ever since Kong Tong mentioned Zhu Minglang’s name, Luo Xiao had sensed something odd. Back then, Zhu Minglang had been holed up in the Dragon-Taming Academy while Luo Xiao was locked in battle—no time to investigate. But now, finding him right here, among the messengers bound for the capital? That was pure irony.

If Zhu Minglang had stayed hidden in the academy, Luo Xiao might’ve had no way to touch him. The place teemed with powerful guardians.

“Liyunzi protected you inside the academy,” Luo Xiao sneered, eyes locked onto Zhu Minglang, “yet you came out to die. Ha… Zhu Minglang, Zhu Minglang—you and Liyunzi put on quite the performance, didn’t you?”

His voice trembled with rising fury. The thought of this man—the thorn in his side that haunted his nights—was enough to ignite a firestorm in his chest. Add in the shame of that whip across his face, the humiliation of being cast out of the Li family… All the rage, all the pain, surged like molten lava beneath his ribs.

“Zhu Minglang,” he snarled, “I’ll kill these two first. Then I’ll carve your flesh slowly, piece by piece, while you tell me everything about what happened in the dungeon with Liyunzi.”

He was beyond human now—transformed into a venomous, twisted demon.

Before the words even left his mouth, the golden flame dragon roared again, unleashing a torrent of hellfire. It erupted like a volcano spewing molten rivers, drenching the fragile forest in scorching waves. Even Duan Lan’s Azure River Dragon, whose mist-shroud technique usually held its own, couldn’t withstand the onslaught.

Heat slammed into them. The crippled eagle-lizard stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Azure River Dragon as the massive golden flame dragon plunged from the sky, crashing through the trees. Waves of fire cascaded down from above—terrifying, overwhelming, shaking the very earth beneath their feet.

The eagle-lizard, already at a disadvantage in size and power, struggled desperately to dodge the fiery barrages. Its one wing useless, it relied on agility alone. Meanwhile, the Azure River Dragon shifted constantly, summoning torrents of water to pour over the golden beast. But the ritual of rain-summoning had drained it—its movements sluggish, weaker than usual.

The golden flame dragon was merciless. With a thunderous roar, it stomped forward, sending shockwaves through the air. Its fangs bared, jaws dripping molten lava, it seized the eagle-lizard’s neck in a crushing grip. Teeth sank deep into flesh, nearly snapping the creature’s spine.

The Azure River Dragon surged forward, its body freezing over with icy mist. Like a serpent, it wrapped around the golden dragon, coiling tightly around its neck and chest—giving the eagle-lizard just enough room to wriggle free.

“Roarrrr—!”

The golden flame dragon howled, its entire body erupting in a chain reaction. Each scale exploded like sulfur stones, transforming it into a colossal bomb the size of a city gate. The blast hurled the Azure River Dragon backward, slamming it into a tree.

“Two lower-tier dragons? You dare challenge me?” Luo Xiao laughed, triumphant.

Even at equal rank—Dragon General level—the eagle-lizard and Azure River Dragon stood little chance against the golden flame dragon, especially now that it had ascended to Upper-Class Dragon General.

Blood streamed from the eagle-lizard’s neck. Feathers peeled away in clumps. Ke Bei looked panicked. He knew the gap in strength was too wide. Even if he summoned other dragons from his spirit realm, they wouldn’t stand a chance.

Likewise, Duan Lan’s strongest ally was the Azure River Dragon. Without her full-scale cloud-raising and rain-summoning magic, she could only delay the inevitable. Now, she might not survive this madman’s wrath.

“You have your grudges with the Li family,” Ke Bei shouted, “but the Dragon-Taming Academy doesn’t care. You know we’re not a noble house. Kill our students, and you’ll pay dearly.”

“So you die first,” Luo Xiao spat, “then I’ll finish them off. Hahahaha!”

The golden flame dragon detonated again—sulfur bursts tearing through the air within fifty meters. The explosive force surged toward the eagle-lizard, aiming to end it in one blow.

With only one wing, the eagle-lizard struggled to lift itself. And there was nowhere to hide from the sulfurous storm.

Just as death loomed, a sharp gust tore through the air—cutting straight through the massive golden dragon—and aimed directly at Luo Xiao, standing atop a giant pine.

Within the wind current, a figure emerged—pure white, flawless, like an ice-and-wind spirit. It charged forward with devastating magic, targeting the dragon master himself.

“Ice-Celestial White Dragon?” Duan Lan gasped.

It was Zhu Minglang’s Ice-Celestial White Dragon. Compared to its earlier form in the classroom, this version unleashed a far stronger wind vortex—a horizontal tornado, swirling with razor-edged shards of ice.

The dragon had reached maturity.

Zhu Minglang hadn’t ordered it to attack the arrogant golden flame dragon. Instead, it struck the master directly.

Luo Xiao’s expression changed instantly.

He’d never taken Zhu Minglang seriously. He hadn’t noticed Ke Bei or Duan Lan summoning other beasts. This direct assault on him? Unexpected—almost insulting.

“Do you think I’m some fool?” Luo Xiao suddenly laughed.

He stood still. On his finger, a ring flared with brilliant crimson light. Thick beams of red energy shot forth, weaving rapidly in midair into a massive, glowing silhouette—clearly that of the golden flame dragon. Then, before anyone could blink, the spectral light solidified into armor.

A dazzling red phantom armor formed around Luo Xiao, shielding him completely.

The ice wind vortex struck like a hurricane—but it was too slow. The phantom armor shimmered, shifting aside just in time.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

Inside the vortex, the Ice-Celestial White Dragon grew—its slender frame expanding, wings unfurling fully, stretching to the size of a great eagle. Its secondary wings unfolded like a sacred butterfly, delicate ice crystals drifting like snowflakes. Its body lengthened, combining the grace of a spirit deer with the power of a snow leopard. Its tail dragged behind it, leaving a trail of dazzling frost.

As the vortex failed to breach Luo Xiao’s red armor, the dragon’s tail transformed—sharpening into a lethal spear.

*Swish!*

The armored shadow cracked open—a hole torn through its core. Luo Xiao screamed in shock, but he couldn’t dodge in time.

Blood sprayed. He tumbled from the pine tree, screaming in agony.

“Roarrrr—!”

The golden flame dragon roared in fury. It dropped the eagle-lizard’s corpse and smashed through flaming trees, catching Luo Xiao mid-fall.

Luo Xiao clutched his temple, his face twisted in pain. Blood soaked through his long hair, trickling down his pale cheeks. His eyes burned with demonic hatred.

“ZHU MINGLANG!!!” he shrieked.

Zhu Minglang’s heart sank.

A hole drilled right beside his temple—and he was still alive?

The phantom armor had absorbed the worst of the tail strike. If not for that, Luo Xiao would’ve been dead.

Dragon masters were vulnerable. Always target them first. Zhu Minglang hadn’t sent Bai Qi into battle because he was waiting for this moment.

But Luo Xiao had armor protection.

Dragon armors were normally worn by beasts—but at Luo Xiao’s level, he’d mastered a rare illusionary technique: summoning the armor from thin air, calling it forth to shield himself temporarily.

Admittedly, the phantom armor saved his life—and gave the golden flame dragon time to return and rescue its master.

Still, Zhu Minglang felt no regret.

Even if he killed Luo Xiao, the golden flame dragon wouldn’t vanish. It would only grow more enraged, more relentless. They’d still be trapped in a fight to the death.

“ROOOOAR!!!”

The golden flame dragon raised its head high, flames roaring around its massive frame like a burning fortress. It opened its maw and unleashed a torrent of molten lava.

One drop could reduce a patch of grass to ash. The superheated liquid could melt stone. The deadly red stream poured toward the Ice-Celestial White Dragon, who danced through the air like a butterfly, dodging with impossible grace.

Above, a floating island of fire blazed. Bai Qi broke through the flames, barely escaping the lava zone—when suddenly, the golden flame dragon lunged from nowhere, claws slashing straight for the white dragon’s neck.

The eagle-lizard had died under that same claw. Though bulky, the golden flame dragon moved with terrifying speed.

“Serpent Vortex!”

Duan Lan’s voice rang out. The Azure River Dragon’s eyes flashed with sapphire light. From its gaze, thick streams of water twisted into serpentine forms—massive water-element vipers, coiling together into a raging whirlpool.

The vortex struck from the side, slamming the golden flame dragon to the ground.

And when it hit, the water didn’t dissipate. Instead, it split into thinner, snake-like tendrils, wrapping tightly around the golden dragon’s limbs.

*Hiss… Hiss… Hiss…*

The cold water boiled instantly. Evaporation began. The water-serpent technique was being vaporized.

The golden flame dragon’s fire was too fierce. Duan Lan’s water magic alone couldn’t contain it.