Conquest of the Dragon Sovereign

In a cave some distance away from where he had been before, not long after, a young-looking woman, around 20 to 25 years old, held Feicui Long's unconscious body. She had a slender and beautiful figure, with attributes neither too large nor too small—just the right balance, perfect for her. Her striking red hair, as vivid as flames, cascaded down like a waterfall of fire. Despite Feicui Long being fully healed from his injuries, he had yet to awaken.

As the young woman gently stroked Feicui Long's face, she began to speak:

"Young master, forgive me. I couldn't arrive in time. Please, forgive me… I… The promise I made to the mistress… I nearly failed to fulfill it. It's just that the rules of the sanctuary…"

She paused for a moment before continuing:

"The rules of the sanctuary are clear… The orders of the sanctuary master are absolute… I was only granted permission after completing certain missions, which is why I was delayed in following you. I'm just relieved that you're safe now..."

After saying this, she slowly lowered her head, trying not to disturb Feicui Long, and then carefully stood up, making as little noise as possible.

But little did she know that Feicui Long had actually awakened some time ago and had been listening to her apology. Not wanting to say anything just yet, he had pretended to be asleep. However, in the end, he needed to ask her one last favor. So, he feigned waking up, slowly sitting up while touching his head. Then, he opened his mouth and said:

"Sister Bao'er…"

And then, he pretended to cough.

Cough Cough

The young woman, despite noticing that he had gotten up, continued walking. But when she heard the words Sister Bao'er, she stopped abruptly, her body tensing up almost like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Feicui Long spoke again and said:

"I mean, Guardian Huo Baoshi, could you please listen to my request…?"

Huo Baoshi responded:

"The young master doesn't have to be so formal with me. This Baoshi has always been loyal to the mistress and will not be upset with whatever the young master chooses to call me."

Then she continued:

"But regarding the request, the young master knows the rules. Even if I wanted to help, the sanctuary master was very clear with his orders—no one is allowed to interfere with, interact with, or seek out the young master. I am the only exception, and only to guarantee the young master's safety in a life-or-death situation, as long as I am not on a mission, and only if I do not interfere with the young master's life…"

Feicui Long let out a sigh sigh before speaking again:

"I understand your concerns, and I know the master's orders. That is precisely why I won't ask for help with anything specific to myself. Besides, you won't need to act directly. Could you at least hear my small request?"

Huo Baoshi hesitated, uncertain for a moment. Then, an image of a woman flashed through her mind. This woman was incredibly beautiful and kind, smiling warmly as she extended a hand to Huo Baoshi. After that brief flashback, Huo Baoshi responded:

"Alright, young master, I will listen. But I will only accept your request if it doesn't require me to act directly. I won't risk punishment—I still need to continue searching for the cu…"

At that moment, she realized she had said something she shouldn't have and abruptly stopped. Though Feicui Long noticed and understood clearly what she was about to say, he simply ignored it and said nothing.

Then, Huo Baoshi turned around, revealing her beautiful face—white as polished marble, with flawless scarlet lips and crimson eyes that seemed to hold a blazing fire. She walked toward Feicui Long with elegant steps, stopping right in front of him. Moving gracefully, she sat down before him, her posture reflecting refined upbringing.

Feicui Long then began to explain his request:

"Alright, what I need, Sister Bao'er, is for you to help me with the Lunar Rock She-Bear. I don't need you to deal with her directly. I only need you to fully unleash your aura across the entire area and release your phoenix pride along with your cry."

Confused by what she had just heard, Huo Baoshi asked,

"But what exactly do you want to accomplish with her? Are you trying to tame her? If that's the case, I can't help you, as that would be indirect interference."

Feicui Long shook his head slightly before responding:

"No, that's not my intention. It has to do with the plan I have. I'll explain everything in detail—it will take some time, so I ask for your patience."

Huo Baoshi nodded slightly and said,

"I understand. In any case, I have nothing else to do for the moment, young master. So, please continue."

…

A few hours later, Feicui Long was taken to the edge of the forest, far from the beast horde heading toward the city. For some reason, the horde had yet to reach the city, but that wasn't important to him. He had to go to the Adventurers' Guilds Union for the first time since being expelled. Although he didn't really feel like going, it was necessary for several reasons—one of them being to claim compensation as revenge for being put in danger. The other was to take the Lunar Rock Bear cub and return it to its mother to prevent a major disaster for the city.

With steady steps, Feicui Long entered the city gates and walked until he found the Adventurers' Guilds Union building. He kept going until he reached the counter and spoke to the receptionist:

"Good afternoon, Marlene. I need to see the branch leader of the Adventurers' Guilds Union."

The receptionist, Marlene, raised her gaze with a hint of disdain and replied,

"If you're trying to return to the union, I regret to inform you that it won't be possible under the current conditions, according to the guild's regulations. The leader won't be able to do anything for you, Mr. Feicui Long."

Feicui Long, deliberately ignoring her attitude, continued speaking:

"Oh no, it's not to rejoin. I'm here to file a claim and request compensation according to Regulation 37 of Article 3 in the Manual of the Mortal Races' Union for all organizations affiliated with the union."

Upon hearing this, the receptionist's eyes widened slightly in surprise before her expression darkened. Then, she said,

"If an adventurer caused you minor harm or financial loss through their actions, there's no need to meet with the leader. I can take you to the Complaints and Claims Manager, where you can file for compensation."

Seeing her expression, Feicui Long let out a seemingly innocent smile and responded,

"Oh no, it's not that."

Then, he leaned closer to her ear and whispered,

"It's something much worse—endangering the life of a civilian and reckless negligence with the risk of death to said civilian."

Marlene's face visibly paled, her expression now filled with unease. Though she seemed reluctant, she had no choice but to activate the sound transmission talisman embedded in an iron tablet on her desk and call the guild leader to report the incident.

…

A while later, Feicui Long sat calmly in a meeting room with a large table at its center, waiting. Soon, the guild leader entered, his face slightly irritated, followed by a group of four adventurers and the receptionist.

The leader took the largest chair at the end of the table, while the adventurers sat to his left and the receptionist to his right. Clearing his throat, the adventurer union leader said,

"Alright, I've brought you all here. Now, I'd like you to clarify your accusations and explain what happened."

Feicui Long responded,

"Branch Leader Eltein, as I told you, these people here not only put my life at risk but did so deliberately. Despite knowing I was in the area—a civilian and citizen of the Habsburg Empire—they led the beast horde that was chasing them straight toward me."

With a serious voice, the branch leader said,

"But how can you prove it? Anyone could say that, and besides, you're completely unharmed. I need you to provide some evidence or a witness statement."

Feicui Long reached into one of his spatial bags, took out his torn clothing, and placed it on the table, saying,

"Here is the proof. This is my clothing—it even has fresh bloodstains. If you'd like, you can verify them."

After saying this, he handed the clothing to the receptionist. Then, he pricked one of his fingers, letting a few drops of blood fall into a small vial, which he also gave to the receptionist.

With slight hesitation, wondering how Feicui Long knew he possessed an artifact for verifying blood origins, Leader Eltein took the torn clothing from the receptionist. He then pulled out an artifact resembling a magnifying glass, covered in various inscriptions. As he brought it close, the energy it absorbed caused it to emit light, which spread across the fabric, flickering over its surface. He then repeated the process with the vial. Soon, the artifact's glow began to dim, and as it did, the leader's face darkened.

Finally, the leader spoke,

"I see. The test results confirm that both samples are from the same source. I can verify that you're not lying, but that doesn't necessarily mean these adventurers were the ones you saw…"

Feicui Long, in a slightly colder tone, spoke and said, "Aren't they? Are you implying that I'm blind or have vision problems? I saw them clearly, I ran into them, and I even have this." Feicui Long took out a piece of fabric with the exact same pattern as one of those adventurers. The adventurer named Shirley turned pale upon seeing it.

The leader Eltein, upon seeing her reaction, knew he could no longer deny it, so he responded with a sigh sigh and then began to speak: "I see, don't misunderstand me, Feicui Long. It's just that I first had to verify your accusations. I cannot impose a punishment on someone who might be innocent. How about this as compensation? I'll give you the following: 10 energy crystals, 5 energy stone cores, 15 energy stone essences, and 150 energy stones, as well as 5 spiritual restoration pills of Earthly Palace rank, third grade, a few martial technique manuals of your choice at the same rank, a spatial storage bag of the same rank as everything else, and finally, 5 platinum coins. I think it's a pretty fair price, don't you think?"

Feicui Long looked at him, and honestly, the offer seemed very good, but he wasn't stupid enough to accept the first offer made to him, especially when he had another card up his sleeve. So Feicui Long responded to the offer: "Hmmm, it's certainly tempting, but I think it should be higher, especially knowing that this group of adventurers brought a tremendous disaster to the city, don't you think?"

The leader of the Adventurers union, Eltein, instead of being angry about his offer being rejected, was confused and quickly asked, "What do you mean by bringing a disaster?"

Feicui Long replied calmly, "Yes, didn't you know? These guys here stole the leader-type beast cub, which triggered the beast horde."

The leader Eltein shouted in shock and turned his head, looking at them furiously: "What did you do!? Is this true!?"

Then the girl named Jeanne spoke up since Clark was still unwell from his injuries, Madelein was quite reserved and shy, and Shirley was trembling because of the fabric. "Yes, branch leader… but the beast was a private request from a high-ranking noble of the Habsburg Empire. Marlene is a witness to this."

The receptionist, upon hearing her name, quickly nodded: "Yes, I was the one who connected them with the noble."

The leader Eltein, now a bit calmer, said, "Well, it's not that big of a problem. We can deal with the horde by killing the beast, and everything will be resolved. Good work..."

Feicui Long let out a disdainful chuckle. 'Hahahahaha.' When everyone turned their gaze toward him, he wiped the tears from his eyes and began to speak: "Excuse me, Leader Eltein, I don't doubt your strength, but with your current cultivation? It would be impossible to defeat it."

The leader Eltein ignored the mocking comments. He was a firm and proud person, but he wouldn't let himself be provoked by such insignificant things. He then spoke: "What do you mean by that? Even if it's a leader-type beast at the peak of the Mythical Realm, Knight Rank – Celestial Grade, I could easily defeat it. Or even in the unlikely case that it was a Spiritual Palace Realm Beast, Grade 1 or 2, I could still take them down."

Feicui Long looked at the group of adventurers, who were trembling, knowing what was coming, and then replied with a broad smile to Leader Eltein: "Branch Leader, it's not that I'm underestimating you, but let's start with the fact that the beast approaching isn't just any beast. It's a beast with a lineage comparable to that of a Red Dragon or a Flame Phoenix. It is a Lunar Rock Bear. With its lineage alone, it could fight against someone from the mortal races two to three grades above it. And since it is a leader-type, Knight Rank, Absolute Grade, it is capable of fighting against mortals five grades above. So even if it were at the Mythical Realm, it could battle against a Spiritual Palace Realm, Grade 5 mortal."

He paused for a moment to see Leader Eltein's eyes widen with concern upon hearing that the beast was a Lunar Rock Bear.

After seeing his reaction, Feicui Long, now with a serious expression, continued speaking: "But on top of that, the Lunar Rock Bear is a beast specialized in defense. Its defense is terrifyingly strong, and while its attacks may not be as powerful compared to its defense, it's not something to underestimate. This makes it an incredibly difficult beast to fight. The fact that it specializes in defense alone would require an immense amount of energy and the combined effort of several Spiritual Palace Realm - grade 5, warriors to break through. So even if it were merely a beast at the peak of the Mythical Realm, you wouldn't be able to defeat it. And while I know you could collaborate with the leaders of the Mercenary Guilds' Union and the Hunters' Guilds union, it still wouldn't be enough. You would need to request help from the Imperial Guard. But the worst part isn't even that."

Feicui Long paused again, taking a sip of the drink that had been brought to him while he was waiting, refreshing his throat.

After swallowing his drink, Feicui Long spoke again, "It's just that the beast is in the third grade of the spiritual palace. At this point, it would be able to kill you and the other leaders with ease. It could only be defeated by one of the ten people at the peak of the spiritual palace realm in the fortress city, of whom eight are busy protecting the city. Four of the five belong to the empire: two under the command of Duke Heinrich, who are two of the commanders of Vienna's guard, responsible for protecting the south and north gates, while the other two are rotating imperial generals who alternate with others to protect the western and eastern gates, the other four belong to different forces. The first is the leader of the union of summoners, tamers, necromancers, and creators of golems and puppets, who protects the northwestern gate. The second is the leader of the union of inscription masters, alchemists, and blacksmith refiners, who protects the northeastern gate. The third is the church of the Supreme Goddess of Life, which protects the southwestern gate. And finally, the fourth is the leader of the union of trade guilds, who protects the southeastern gate." Feicui Long paused for a moment to catch his breath.

Without delay, he continued speaking, "The other two who are not busy protecting the city, one is currently doing the rotation assigned to the other nine in the small forward fortress on the southwestern road, the main supply route for the fortress city of Vienna. The person in charge at the moment is the elder of the Triple Union, the union of three alliances: the mercenary guilds union, the hunter guilds union, and the adventurer guilds union. The last one, who is neither occupied nor part of the rotation, is the supreme protector of the city, the Grand General of the South, third supreme commander of the empire, Duke of the Duchy of Bavaria-Saxony, Duke Heinrich Der Löwe, so the only person currently available to ask for help would be the Duke. But making the Duke come out to solve a problem caused by the adventurers' guild… I don't think that would be good for the guild, do you? The guild could lose a great deal of power and influence, possibly even becoming a minor associate of the city of Vienna. After all, I don't need to explain the importance of the fortress that holds back the enemies of the mortal races from entering the Habsburg Empire on the southeastern front."

Leader Eltein, who had remained silent with a darkened expression, looked at him with a serious face, while also casting angry glances at Clark's group of adventurers. He stayed like that for a while until he finally decided to speak, "But how do I know you're not lying and exaggerating things?" he said in a hoarse voice, as if he were losing patience.

Feicui Long smiled and said nothing, simply waiting.

…

Soon, hurried footsteps were heard, and the door was thrown wide open. Everyone in the meeting room suddenly turned their gaze toward the uninvited guest. It was a member of the Adventurers' Guilds Union staff. He looked agitated and a little nervous as he spoke in a hurried voice, "Leader! Leader E-Eltein, you have to hear this! It's a message sent from the section of the wall at the intersection between the south gate and the southeast gate… it's an urgent message!"

Leader Eltein looked at him, his voice still hoarse, and shouted, "Hurry! What are you waiting for? Play it!"

The union member, frightened by the shout, injected his energy into the sound-recording stone, and a message began to play, "To Leader Eltein… This is Commander Begnar. I request your help. A massive horde of beasts is approaching… it's urgent. We don't have enough soldiers, and I believe there's a Spiritual Palace-level beast commanding everything. I've seen some mythical-realm beasts at the borders of the Golsen Forest through the binoculars, and they are preparing to charge. Additionally, I heard a distant roar, so powerful that it impacted my spirit and suppressed it slightly despite being so far away…"

Leader Eltein looked as if he wanted to bury his head in a flowerpot, his face contorted with rage and worry, especially because of the last words. He knew that leader well. The Triple Union had established its four branches in the southern and southeastern parts of the city, as those were usually the most attacked areas. However, an attack directly on the wall between these two gates was almost unheard of. Because of this, the assigned commander was only at the mythical realm. Even so, the mythical realm was not something to underestimate, and the fact that just a roar from a great distance could exert pressure was not a good sign. He feared that it was indeed a Spiritual Palace realm beast, just as Feicui Long had described.

But he wouldn't even have time to hesitate because, soon, from the distance, a roar was heard… ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR! Even from so far away, the roar unleashed a terrifying pressure that activated the wall's defensive formation. In the air, they could see the defensive array deployed, dispersing part of the impact of the monstrous aura that had been released. Everyone could see it from the windows of the meeting room, yet even with that, the weakened aura still reached them, sending chills deep into their spirits and making them all pale.

The only two exceptions were Leader Eltein and Feicui Long, one because he was also at the Spiritual Palace realm, and the other because of his special soul, though it was currently dormant.

So, Eltein said to the union member, "Wait a moment. I'll deal with this and leave immediately. Also, close the door on your way out."

The member was surprised. Normally, in these situations, the leader would be the first to leave, but now he wanted to stay and handle something in the meeting room? Just how important could this be compared to defending the city? Even so, the union member quickly left and closed the door.

Leader Eltein, now a bit calmer, said to Marlene, "Marlene, activate the door formation. I don't want anyone listening to what we're about to discuss here, understood?" Marlene quickly followed the instructions and activated the room's isolation formation. No one outside would be able to hear them anymore.

Feicui Long wasn't worried. On the contrary, he knew the interesting part was coming, it was finally time to negotiate the "compensation." Of course, it wasn't that he was overly confident, but he was simply sure that Leader Eltein wouldn't do anything to him, especially since he was currently a civilian. The Mortal Races Union controlled its organizations not with an iron fist, but with one of adamantine. If Eltein tried anything, he would lose more than just his position.

Leader Eltein then looked at Feicui Long, almost as if he knew what he was thinking, and said, "Besides the compensation, how about I triple everything in exchange for you not saying that the Adventurers' Guild Union was responsible for all this? Of course, I will also make sure to punish those reckless fools."

Feicui Long, hesitating a little at such a tempting offer, replied, "How about you increase the platinum coins to twenty-five, along with the crystals? I'd also like you to add a few books on alchemy recipes and refining—smithing, as well as some books on creature classification by clan and three treasure talismans."

Leader Eltein let out a long sigh… Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh… and responded, "Alright, but you'll have to sign a contract to keep all of this silent."

Feicui Long smiled, placing his hands together with one palm over the other, then slowly spread them apart. As he did, to the astonished eyes of everyone, a scroll materialized out of thin air. It was an energy contract, one of the things possible thanks to the Invocation ability and all the skills derived from and based on it, such as taming, necromancy, and the creation of golems and puppets.

When the scroll finished generating, it had all the established conditions, both for security and with the spiritual seal of the Bloody Soul Mind, one of the four most powerful seals to confirm a contract, as they are almost completely indestructible and can only be destroyed with fragments of the Absolute Heaven's Law and even then, a good amount must be gathered, which provided more certainty when signing the contract.

Leader Eltein said, "Were you a tamer? Why didn't you say so? Well, it doesn't matter. Since you have it, let's sign it." After saying that, Eltein placed his drop of blood on one of the seals at the side. The seal lit up, and his full name appeared in the center: "Eltein Copenhagen." Feicui Long did the same, signing on the other end, making the name "Feicui Long" appear. Then, the contract glowed a blood-red color, burned with a flame that did not consume, and vanished.

Leader Eltein finally spoke again, "You can go now. I'll take care of the rest."

But Feicui Long had no intention of leaving just like that, so he said, "No, I have to take the Lunar Rock Bear cub with me."

Leader Eltein raised an eyebrow and questioned, "To tame it? Are you crazy? Do you want to get thousands of people killed?"

Feicui Long shook his head and replied, "No, but who else would take it back to its mother? I'm sure she won't want to ask the Duke for help, but at the same time, no one in their right mind would charge into the beast horde. And even if they managed to get through, there's no guarantee the mother wouldn't kill them. So, I volunteer in exchange for two little things."

Leader Eltein, realizing the situation, spoke in a defeated voice, "Alright, tell me what you want."

Feicui Long, with a slight smile, said, "First, I would like you to sign a contract different from the previous one, in which you won't be able to cause me any harm or trouble, and you will have to leave me alone permanently. This applies to all members of the union, including those present. The details will be specified in the contract. And the second thing is…" He paused briefly before continuing, "I would like you to give me one of the nine fragments of the Arboreal Crystal of Powerful Vitality from a Tree of Life that absorbed draconic energy. I know the leader has been collecting fragments, and I only need one."

Leader Eltein's eyes widened in shock how did he find out about this treasure? He had been secretly gathering these fragments so that his son, who had extremely poor talent and was nearly crippled, could advance quickly through the realms and improve his abilities. No one should have known about it. But what shocked him even more was that Feicui Long had the audacity to ask for it while smiling.

In the end, Eltein had no choice. Reluctantly, he accepted Feicui Long's conditions, took the fragment out of his spatial storage ring, and signed the contract. It wasn't that he didn't want to resist or send someone else, but he knew that only the best of the union could pass through the beast horde unscathed, and sending them would be sending them to their deaths against the Lunar Rock Bear.

Feicui Long, still smiling, took the fragment and stored it in the spatial storage bag that the receptionist, who had gone to get the "compensation," had given him. With everything settled, Feicui Long left, guided by a union member who would take him through one of the smaller gates to exit the wall.

After a few minutes of running, they finally arrived at the gate. The guide spoke with the guards, who let him out without any issues. Without wasting any time, Feicui Long left the city. The exit point was slightly away from where the beast horde was gathered this was done to avoid running into them head-on. Now, the key was to move quickly, so Feicui Long immediately accelerated at full speed toward the Golsen Forest.