Evil dragon has a warm heart
Chapter 419 - 419 418 The Last Barrier

Chapter 419: Chapter 418: The Last Barrier Chapter 419: Chapter 418: The Last Barrier The completion and activation of the Torrent Scale Tower did not affect Russell in any way, except that the Gloomy Dreamland could not descend.

The reclamation of the Blackflame Plains was also ongoing.

Not only did the Fluorescent Fungi Family put a lot of manpower and resources into supporting Russell’s territorial construction, but the Rainflower Family also sent a group of knights, craftsmen, and serf technicians led by Uncle Saisiluo to assist Russell after the warm season trade routes were opened.

“Uncle, big cousin,” Russell held a banquet at Wuyao Snake Manor’s Cigar Courtyard to welcome the knights from the Rainflower Family.

Saisiluo was feeling quite spirited these days.

This once unremarkable 1st-level Phantom Beast Knight, who could only sulk in a rural manor at the Tributary River Mouth, has been highly utilized by Uncle Mejie after reconciling with Earl Merlin, and has now even been appointed as the Knight Commander of a knight regiment, the Clearwater River Knight Order.

“Russell, the Clearwater River Knight Order will join the Gloomy Light Valley Knight Order in campaigning across the snowfields. These craftsmen and serf technicians I’ve brought are your Uncle Meijie’s support for you,” said Saisiluo as he started handing over his tasks.

“Thanks to Uncle,” Russell responded with a smile.

He then had Charles, who had just rushed back, take over from his bigger cousin Saither, while he continued to entertain Saisiluo, “Uncle, why would Uncle send a knight regiment to join the battles in the snowfields here in Glowing Valley?”

Saisiluo replied, “Father-in-law Sir needs to escort the Dragon Blood Knights, so with none of our family’s three knight regiments protected by Flying Dragon Knights, the Clearwater River Knight Order has been dispatched here to seek protection from Roman.”

Tributary River Mouth is named for where Clearwater River and Turbid River converge into the wide Da Wan River.

The Rainflower Family has cultivated three knight regiments named Clearwater River Knight Order, Turbid River Knight Order, and Da Wan River Knight Order.

After the war mobilization decree, the great nobles all needed to send their knight regiments to campaign across the snowfields.

The Rainflower Family was no exception and chose to have Saisiluo lead the Clearwater River Knight Order to act alongside the Gloomy Light Valley Knight Order.

“I see,” Russell nodded. “Congratulations, Uncle, on the chance to command a knight regiment.”

“If it weren’t for your Baron promotion ceremony, Father-in-law Sir and I would probably still have difficulty reconciling,” Saisiluo said reflectively. “Russell, your aunt asked me to make sure I convey her thanks to you.”

“Aunt is too polite; we are all family,” said Russell.

“Yes, we are, family,” agreed Saisiluo.

“I will also be taking part in this campaign across the snowfields, so Uncle can act freely without concerns,” Russell assured him.

Saisiluo joyfully replied, “To have the protection of Shadowflame’s first man, there could be nothing better!”

The Clearwater River Knight Order rested in the Glowing Valley for two days, and both Saisiluo and Saither were shown around Blackfire Plains and Leize by people arranged by Russell.

By the third day, at the beginning of July,

Steel Dragon Knight Lord Kroya and Black Coal Dragon Knight Lord Hancock arrived. Thus, a grand force involving four Flying Dragon Knights and two knight regiments set out from Wuyao Snake Manor towards the snowfields.

There were no Snow Demons within the territory anymore, so the knight regiments advanced towards the outside.

They eventually reached Greentown Snow Forest.

This was the campsite Russell had selected for the knight regiments. Of course, the Owl-Like Dragons living at the Greentown Garden Cold Spring Point had been strictly forbidden from being harmed by anyone.

Among this group of Owl-Like Dragons, a second Pseudo-Harpy Dragon might even emerge.

“Quack!”

Revisiting familiar grounds, the Harpy Dragon Hape returned to the Owl-Like Dragon flock with contentment, and even brought them gifts.

A full bag of roasted mouse meat.

“Quack!”

“Quack!”

The Owl-Like Dragons scrambled for the food, quickly devouring the roasted mice. Each one was left with a greasy mouth and a round belly.

“Are these Hape’s siblings?” Baron Roman followed Russell, setting up camp together in Greentown Garden.

“Yes, Father,” Russell replied. “It was here that I first encountered Hape. After some communication, Hape chose to recognize me as its master, and then we completed the Phantom Beast contract.”

Baron Roman looked envious, “So Hape is also a Primordial Beast Kind Pseudo-Dragon Successor, similar to how Polly was initially?”

He had contracted three Phantom Beasts and was about to contract his fourth. They were the Silver Winged Wind Fox, the King of Ebony-waisted Snakes, and the Nightmare Specter Horse, none of which had the potential to ascend to Pseudo-Dragon status. Compared to Unicorn Polly, their talents were far inferior.

“Yes.”

“Then, can Hape evolve into a Pseudo-Dragon?” Baron Roman asked with a burning gaze.

Russell replied, “It’s possible, but there’s no guarantee. The conditions for evolving into a Pseudo-Dragon are too harsh.”

“Indeed, the condition of surviving a life-and-death crisis in order to advance to a Dragon Domain Lord… that condition…” Baron Roman’s envy towards Russell suddenly diminished greatly, “I was thinking earlier about contracting with a Phantom Beast Pseudo-Dragon Successor myself.”

After a pause, Baron Roman sighed, “But on further thought, it’s better for gifted young knights to contract with a Pseudo-Dragon Successor.”

Russell consoled him, “Father, you’re in your prime—it’s not impossible for you to advance to a Dragon Domain Lord with a Phantom Beast.”

“Let’s not,” Baron Roman waved his hand, “I don’t have your good luck to escape death… you have dragons constantly watching over you… anyway, work hard, the Shadowflame Grand Duchy will eventually fall into your younger generation’s hands.”

They chatted for a while about various topics.

Watching Hape getting along well with the Owl-Like Dragons, Baron Roman suddenly said, “Hape seems to really like the Owl-Like Dragon flock, doesn’t he?”

“Yes.”

“If you want to accelerate your training with Hape, why don’t you bring the Owl-Like Dragons back to your territory to raise?” Baron Roman suggested.

But Russell shook his head, “Father, that won’t work.”

“Why not?”

“Our family’s Four Seasons Flower Sea Cold Spring Spot is currently raising a group of Quail-like Dragons, aren’t they? If we kill them, the Cold Spring Spot will no longer be warm,” Russell explained, “By the same logic, once the Owl-Like Dragons leave Greentown Garden, this place will no longer be a garden.”

“It doesn’t matter, it would be better to build a garden at home,” Baron Roman said.

“But the key point is, without the Owl-Like Dragons, the Cold Spring Point will lose its warmth. Similarly, if the Owl-Like Dragons leave the Cold Spring Point, and then reproduce the next generation, they won’t give birth to Owl-Like Dragons but instead devolve into ordinary owls.”

“Is that so?” Baron Roman stroked his chin, “I see… Then, Russell, do you think Unicorn Polly’s Leize is considered a kind of Cold Spring Point?”

“It is.”

“Then, is it possible for Leize to breed a group of… never mind, it’s probably not easy for Polly to find a suitable partner.” Baron Roman shook his head.

At that moment, Polly was leisurely grazing near the Greentown Garden Cold Spring Point.

Glancing at Polly’s silhouette, Russell murmured, “Father, I suspect that Pseudo-Dragons might not need to propagate through breeding to pass on their legacy. Based on my understanding of the Pseudo-Dragon Prime Breath, perhaps, radiating their kind could be the key to their inheritance.”

“Radiating their kind?”

“Yes, radiating their kind,” Russell said.

Within the Shadowflame Grand Duchy, several Cold Spring Points hosted Primordial Beast Pseudo-Dragon Successors, indicating that Pseudo-Dragons were once born here.

But as Baron Roman mentioned, it’s very difficult for Pseudo-Dragons to find partners.

Passing on Pseudo-Dragon Successors through sexual reproduction seems unrealistic, so the most likely method of inheritance is through the radiation of power, bloodline infection.

“I’ve been preparing an experiment. Once Leize fulfills the survival conditions, I will introduce a batch of warhorses,” Russell said in a low voice behind Polly’s back. “We’ll see if the power in Leize can infect these warhorses and turn them into… Horse-like Dragons.”

Polly hates it most when people think it is a horse.

So, the Horse-like Dragon experiment had to be done behind Polly’s back, to prevent Polly from feeling disrespected.

“If it succeeds… tsk, it might be a blow to Polly,” Baron Roman chuckled softly.

He certainly knew that Polly hated being considered a horse.

Russell smiled, “But if the experiment fails, it’s very likely to indicate that Polly’s lineage truly has nothing to do with horses… It might be a unique Unicorn, naturally born and raised, just like Bipedal Flying Dragons.”

“Hm, so do you believe that Polly evolved from a horse, or was naturally born and raised?”

“Logically, I believe Polly indeed evolved from a horse, but emotionally, I believe it is unique,” Russell said, “This experiment is not so much a test of Polly’s lineage as it is a struggle between my emotions and rationality.”

“How so?” Baron Roman didn’t quite understand.

Russell looked up at a forty-five-degree angle through the gaps in the canopy to the sky: “Is becoming a Dragon Domain Lord really the limit? I don’t know, but I do know that regarding the question of whether Polly is a horse or not, there is still a slight distance between us and it.”

To break this distance.

Maybe then he could glimpse the next stage beyond a Dragon Domain Lord—or perhaps, nothing at all would happen.

Dragon Domain Lord, after all, might just be the end.