Evil dragon has a warm heart
Chapter 403 - 403 402 Great Efforts Work Wonders

Chapter 403: Chapter 402: Great Efforts Work Wonders Chapter 403: Chapter 402: Great Efforts Work Wonders “Quack!”

After the Rolin couple left, Russell stayed at the Cigar Courtyard and practiced diligently, mainly focusing on coordinating with the Harpy Dragon Hape.

Since Hape had opened its heart, the speed of spiritual cultivation had increased rapidly.

Especially since Hape’s intelligence was no less than that of humans, the communication and mutual calibration between them felt like a delightful case of water flowing into its destined channel.

However.

Russell could still feel through their psychic connection an urgency within Hape, especially when Unicorn Polly appeared nearby, intensifying this urgency.

It wasn’t that Hape was jealous of Polly’s current Pseudo-Dragon form but a longing, an immense desire to become a Pseudo-Dragon itself.

“Don’t rush, Hape, haste makes waste,” Russell would habitually talk heart-to-heart with Hape after their training sessions, “Becoming a Pseudo-Dragon requires a special opportunity, which should be met with equanimity. The more restless you are, the less likely it is to manifest.”

“I know, Russell,” Hape responded in their minds, “But my power, among the Second Turn Prime Breath, seems so insignificant. I yearn for progress!”

Russell’s Second Turn Prime Breath was almost on par with Polly’s Pseudo-Dragon Primordial Breath, making Hape’s power seem truly insignificant by comparison. During battles, whether Hape’s strength was present or not didn’t really matter.

“This is only temporary, Hape,” Russell soothed, “Believe me, the power that I, Polly, and Rossay wield is not enough, not nearly enough to face the Snow Giants… Beyond Shadowflame Grand Duchy, besides Snow Giant Da, there might be another Snow Giant.”

He sincerely added, “Facing two Snow Giants, my Alexander, so Hape, your strength is essential, far from insignificant.”

“I understand, Russell.”

“In any case, we must calm our minds and perfect our spiritual synchrony first, then look for that opportunity. Only then can we help you ascend to a Pseudo-Dragon and allow me to ascend as a Second-tier Dragon Domain Lord, gaining greater strength!”

Hape earnestly replied, “Russell, rest assured, I will keep my heart calm and strive for our spirits to be in perfect sync as soon as possible.”

“Very good,” Russell smiled, “you and Polly are among the most intelligent beings, and you will surely harmonize the balance of spirits.”

After becoming a Second-layer high-rank Phantom Beast Knight, it’s not only necessary to achieve perfect sync with the phantom beast’s spirit but also to maintain the balance within the spiritual contracts among phantom beasts; otherwise, the imbalance will prevent advancement to the next layer.

This is also why there are so few Third-layer high-rank Phantom Beast Knights in Shadowflame Grand Duchy, and there’s only one Fourth-layer high-rank Phantom Beast Knight.

That is Count Merlin.

Baron Roman has been claiming that he’s close to achieving spiritual balance and advancing to Fourth-layer, but he remains at Third-layer for now.

“Alright, training is over, let’s enjoy a good meal,” Russell snapped his fingers, and a servant brought in roasted rat meat.

“Quack!” Hape chirped crisply, starting to peck at the roasted rat meat bit by bit.

Today at Wuyao Snake Manor, the rats are protected animals strictly forbidden from being hunted, with only Hape allowed to feast on them daily—even Red-eyed Mouse King Jerry could only occasionally add an extra meal with tears, not feasting on roasted rat meat every time.

Rats reproduce very rapidly.

But not rapidly enough to keep up with the demand, as batch after batch of grown rats were sent by Katie to Blackflame Plains.

There, in Blackflame Plains, she was tasked with forming the Treasure-Hunting Rat Squad and the Sentinel Rat Squad, aiming to integrate the entire Blackflame Plains into a network of rat intelligence. Moreover, Katie was trying to train the rats to discern magic auras, to facilitate treasure hunting.

Once the Treasure Hunting Mice had mastered how to discern magical auras, no Spirit Insects on Blackflame Plains would ever escape.

Leize planned to do the same in the future.

…

In early April, the ice period began to recede, and the Warm Season started.

The first batch of serfs had arrived at Wuyao Snake Manor, and these serfs wouldn’t immediately be sent to Blackfire Plains to break ground.

They would wait until they had adapted to the climate of the Warm Enclave before being deployed for land clearance.

The mass of local serfs from Glowing Valley were conscripted for service and began constructing a road between Glowing Valley and Blackflame Plains across the Broken Snowfield that could accommodate carriages, striving to start land clearance as soon as the ice and snow melted.

It was a significant undertaking.

Fortunately, many of the elders in Glowing Valley had participated in repairing the Mountain River Trade Route and the Twin Rivers Trade Route, and were adept at building roads through snowfields.

Roland, the eldest brother, demonstrated his talent as the heir to a great noble family, efficiently managing the transport of serfs, conscripting them for service, dispatching craftsmen to build roads, and handling numerous affairs without disrupting the cultivation of Glowing Valley itself.

“I must admit, everyone has their strengths, and I am not as suited for administrative work as my big brother,” Russell reflected.

Indeed, if Russell hadn’t been a transmigrator,

one could say that, apart from his appearance, his predecessor was in every way inferior to his older brother Roland, especially in terms of talent and methods.

But reality does not entertain so many “if,” “unless,” “suppose.”

Nowadays, all glory that belonged to Roland had been overshadowed by Russell, even the glory of Baron Roman had been overshadowed by him. Mentioning the Fluorescent Fungi Family, outsiders would think of Baron Russell Fluorescent Fungus first and foremost.

The Black Oil Dragon Ross descended from the clouds.

The knights overseeing the roadworks saluted Russell, who waved his hand, signaling everyone to continue their busyness.

“Russell, you’ve arrived,” Roland, riding a Nightmare Specter Horse, came over.

“Big brother, the roadworks are progressing very quickly, it could be finished within a month, right?” Russell touched the Mark of the Thunder Lord on his forehead, and the Unicorn Polly displayed its striking form, carrying Russell as he strode through the void on the snowfield.

“It will definitely be finished within a month, but you’ll need to cleave Sharp Knife Mountain at the end of the road,” Roland said.

The road between Glowing Valley and the Blackflame Plains was blocked by the Sharp Knife Mountain Range.

“No problem, I can cleave it now.”

“Then let’s depart.”

The two brothers rode side by side; the Nightmare Specter Horse was quite a striking horse-like phantom beast, but it seemed rather shabby compared to the Unicorn.

“Nemo doesn’t like getting too close to Lady Polly; it makes him feel very insignificant,” Roland sighed. “Before Lady Polly was promoted to a Pseudo-Dragon, although she was very handsome, Nemo wasn’t much inferior; now there’s no comparison.”

Nemo was his contracted Nightmare Specter Horse.

Russell helplessly said, “Polly now… indeed has grown much bigger than before, but that’s the evolution of a Pseudo-Dragon.”

The current Unicorn Polly indeed struck an imposing figure to the extreme, but after growing larger, it seemed incongruent with the war horses. Even Russell, the Unicorn Knight, appeared somewhat comical, like a small man riding a large horse.

This was probably the only imperfection after being promoted to the Lord of the Dragon Domain.

The brothers chatted along the way and soon arrived at the Sharp Knife Mountain Pass at the end of the road, which had a downhill slope.

The road team’s materials were manually transported up this slope.

War horses had to take a longer route through the tunnels of Wuyao Snake Manor or Great Wind Manor to enter the snowfield.

The Curved Blade Mountain Range and Sharp Knife Mountain Range, originally protecting the Glowing Valley, now became a hindrance to the future new territory. Fortunately, Russell had already mastered a power capable of altering geography.

He had the knights evacuate the workers near the mountain pass.

Russell leapt into the air; Unicorn Polly then transformed into a bolt of thunder that merged into his body.

Fizz-sizzle!

Electricity crackled, and Russell entered combat mode, the Sword Butterfly Mark appearing and transforming into a broad-bladed Meteor Butterfly Sword.

“Secret Technique: Sword of Thunder!”

Hum-hum-hum!

Countless thunders converged on the blade, and then Russell raised the Meteor Butterfly Sword high and chopped down towards the mountain pass.

Boom!

Rocks flew, and the mountain crumbled.

The Sharp Knife Mountain Pass, originally just a small gap, was thoroughly turned into a canyon-like large gap. Russell’s sword did not stop; the Secret Technique: Sword of Thunder was frequently deployed, effortlessly smashing this part of the Sharp Knife Mountain Range into pieces.

He ruthlessly carved out two smooth mountain walls and a perfectly straight chasm fifty meters wide between them.

As the dust settled,

Russell contentedly sheathed the Meteor Butterfly Sword and slowly descended from midair, “Big brother, I’ve already cleaved a path through the mountain. You just need to have people clear the rubble in the valley, and it can connect with the road on the snowfield.”

“These are truly creator-like methods!” Roland looked at the smooth and straight chasm and marveled.

Russell laughed heartily, leaning back slightly, “It’s still far from the creator’s methods; this, well… this is more like ‘with great power comes great miracles’!”