CHAPTER 587: CHAPTER 44: TRAINING THE GIANT DRAGON (PART 2)

After Ji Yun joined the Dragon Rider Reserve Camp, he quickly formed his own clique, surrounded by a small group of opportunist sycophants who wanted to lean on the Ji Residence for support.

Long Rui knew well that the other party had entered the Dragon Rider Reserve Camp thanks to his father’s money, and now Ji Jie was in favor, and her older brother had instructed her not to offend the Ji father and son directly.

Long Rui found Ji Yun’s attitude utterly repulsive and turned to leave, only to hear "Yue Minzhi" suddenly speaking up beside her.

"Brother Ji has joined the Dragon Rider Reserve Camp as well? That’s truly wonderful. I’ve always said someone with such exceptional talent and profound cultivation, a pillar of the Empire like you, how could you not join the Dragon Rider Reserve Camp? That would be the Empire’s loss and the Dragon Rider Team’s regret," Yue Jinghua said, with a gleeful expression on her face.

The tone and demeanor were exactly like those hanging around Ji Yun.

Long Rui furrowed her brows, puzzled as to why "Yue Minzhi" would suddenly change her tune and flatter someone like Ji Yun.

"It’s very timely that Brother Ji is here, speaking of which, it is I who have burdened Miss Long Rui. She, the esteemed daughter of the National Guardian General Residence, has been accompanying me in transporting dragon feces and cleaning the Dragon Cave. The worst part is, she also has to play with those Sub-Asian Dragons. Though I wish to help, my limited cultivation betrays me, rendering me legless as soon as a Sub-Asian Dragon approaches," Yue Minzhi said with a look of feigned helplessness, glancing at Long Rui as if seeking confirmation.

Long Rui was stunned for a moment before she grasped Yue Minzhi’s intent. Holding back her urge to burst out laughing, she softened her voice, "Ji Yun, it’s good that you’ve come. I’m so frightened of those Sub-Asian Dragons, and I’m aware of how skilled you are in Dark Skill. If you could help me by playing with that group of Sub-Asian Dragons for a while, I would be immensely grateful."

Ji Yun, unaccustomed to such treatment, was completely entranced by Long Rui’s pleading voice and pitiful look, as if losing his soul and nodding like a bobblehead dog: "Leave it to me. It’s my honor to serve Miss Long Rui."

"Then I’ll leave it to Brother Ji," Yue Jinghua said with a smile, taking out a newly acquired beast skin ball.

Ji Yun, puzzled, took it from her.

Yue Jinghua made quick work and stuffed him into the beast skin outfit.

When he saw a group of overexcited Sub-Asian Dragons running towards him as if injected with chicken blood, Ji Yun’s legs trembled like noodles. Before he could react, a Sub-Asian Dragon kicked him flying.

For a while, continuous screams filled the space outside the Dragon Cave. Ji Yun’s cronies were scared stiff, watching Ji Yun get trampled by a pack of Sub-Asian Dragons before finally being carried away.

Yue Jinghua sneered coldly: "Ji Yun, did you really think becoming a Dragon Knight would be a walk in the park?"

That evening, after Yue Jinghua and Long Rui had delivered the last cart of dragon feces and were about to return to their lodgings, a Cultivator stopped them. A Blue Dragon in the Dragon Cave was about to lay eggs, and there weren’t enough hands; one of them needed to stay behind and keep watch.

The Dragon Cave was adjacent to Yun Jiu Peak, which was populated with numerous fierce Human-faced Falcons that loved to steal dragon eggs.

Thus, whenever a Mother Dragon laid eggs in the Dragon Cave, the area would be put on high alert and defenses would be strengthened.

Seeing Long Rui had been busy all day and looked a bit under the weather, Yue Jinghua sent her back first.

As night fell, Yue Jinghua released a group of giant-winged mosquitoes and then joined the Breeders to watch the Mother Dragon lay eggs.

The egg-laying dragon was a female Water Dragon, taking residence in the artificial lake inside the Dragon Cave.

When Yue Jinghua followed the crowd to the artificial lake, the pregnant Water Dragon was already floating on the surface of the lake, her belly swollen.

It was a beautiful Mother Dragon with smooth water-blue skin, tender watery eyes, and it seemed to have a very gentle temperament as it lay there quietly, looking rather uncomfortable.

"Eh, isn’t that Dragon Rider Zhan Tian’s mount, the Dragon’s Promise?" Yue Jinghua instantly recognized the gray giant dragon perched next to the mother dragon.

As the sole remaining Dragon Clan on the continent, the Sub-Asian Dragons, despite having reached the Peak in strength and cultivation among Dark Beasts, have a very low breeding rate. Most of them can only lay one or two Dragon Eggs in their lifetime, and the survival rate is very low.

The Dragon’s Promise and this Water Dragon named Lan Dai had formed a bond in the Dragon Cave and had been a couple for twenty years. This was Lan Dai’s first time conceiving and laying eggs. As a soon-to-be father, the Dragon’s Promise had taken "paternity leave" from Zhan Tian three days ago and had been accompanying Lan Dai the whole time.

Seeing his beloved wife in pain, the Dragon’s Promise perched by her side, occasionally using its tongue to lick Lan Dai’s face and belly, the display of affection warmed Yue Jinghua’s heart.

Though Dark Beasts lack the wisdom of the Human Race, their fidelity to their companions is hundreds of times stronger than that of humans. Especially Sub-Asian Dragons, once they become mates, will stay together through life and death.

Owing to the vigilance of the Hurricane Storm Dragon Nuoyan, the guarding of the Dragon Cave became much more relaxed.

Normally, when a mother dragon is laying eggs, to prevent attacks from Human-faced Falcons, the inside and outside of the Dragon Cave would even be guarded by a dedicated Imperial Army.

With the mount of Dragon Rider Zhan Tian present, it was as if a Dragon Knight was there, so when Yue Jinghua offered to help guard the mother dragon and the Dragon Eggs tonight, those breeders accustomed to the dragon laying eggs agreed to her request.

As for Yue Jinghua’s actions, the Dragon’s Promise didn’t pay much attention, it was only carefully guarding the mother dragon.

As the sky grew darker, around midnight, Lan Dai let out even more painful dragon roars.

The surface of the lake became rippled as Lan Dai’s belly contracted and expanded.

"She’s starting to lay eggs," the anticipation of a new life’s arrival made Yue Jinghua apprehensive.

Sub-Asian Dragons are oviparous creatures, and a Dragon Egg is five to six times larger than an ostrich egg, making the laying process arduous.

The dragon’s roar lasted for about half an hour, and finally, after a lengthy half an hour, a Dragon Egg appeared beneath Lan Dai.

The Dragon Egg emitted a gray-blue luster, very much like the color of its parents’ skin.

The Hurricane Storm Dragon Nuoyan cleaned the blood off the Dragon Egg and then carefully licked Lan Dai. For some reason, the mother dragon still looked uneasy, remaining prone on the surface of the lake, refusing to eat the Dark Pill offered to her.

Just as Yue Jinghua was about to call for a cultivator to check what was wrong, a sense of crisis rushed through her like an electric current.

This feeling?!

Yue Jinghua hastily looked up at the space above the Dragon Cave.

The Dragon Cave was carved out of an entire mountain, allowing a clear view of the sky and stars above.

In the sky, a black dot appeared first, followed by more and more black dots, spreading like sesame seeds scattered on the ground, densely packed.

Upon seeing those black dots, an angry roar came from the throat of the Hurricane Storm Dragon Nuoyan.

The mother dragon Lan Dai lifted her eyes, and a flicker of panic crossed her draconic gaze.