Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 206 - 205: Unexpected Discovery

Chapter 206: Chapter 205: Unexpected Discovery

The Ancient Jade Dragon wanted Leon to perform for him first to satisfy his curiosity.

Leon, on the other hand, preferred that the Ancient Jade Dragon first tell him the knowledge he wanted to learn.

After some back-and-forth bargaining, in the end, the Ancient Jade Dragon’s curiosity outweighed him, and he yielded first.

"You seem to know a lot about gods..."

"Not much. I’ve just heard a bit."

Leon mainly wanted to understand knowledge related to gods. However, although the Ancient Jade Dragon was quite old and highly curious, valuing knowledge, he still didn’t know much.

The Ancient Jade Dragon began talking eloquently.

Leon had never been so focused before, occasionally asking questions, and quickly gained a vague understanding of the gods of this world.

No matter how mighty the gods described in official DND lore might seem, where some claim they could casually destroy stars and defeat a Demon Lord as if disciplining a child, in this world, while gods were undoubtedly powerful—able to summon natural disasters at will or shift mountains and seas—they were far from capable of detonating stars.

The strength of a god depended on the vitality and number of the beings that believed in them. Even the faith of a few hundred or thousand was something they had to pay attention to, even dispatching a priest to educate the ignorant villagers of a small village to dedicate their hearts and souls to the god. Tiamat would delight in a single Red Dragon’s faith and was frugal enough to be fond of gold coins.

Gods rarely manifested themselves, but the descendants born to gods, known as Supreme Heaven, were not difficult to encounter. These Supreme Heaven beings generally possessed beautiful faces, flawless physiques, and overwhelming confidence. While ageless, they could still be killed, and they couldn’t defeat certain mighty Demon Lords or Great Devils.

The essence of gods was faith. As long as faith existed, gods were immortal.

To kill a god, one must first destroy their faith, annihilating all believers worshipping them. It seems that the ancient fallen empires once worshipped many gods, none of which are seen anymore because, with the empire’s destruction, the foundation of their faith vanished.

Among gods, there exist naturally born gods capable of creating entire races. As the races they created continued to reproduce and grow stronger, they reciprocated divine power to their creator, making them increasingly mighty. It’s akin to climbing from one foot to another to ascend to the heavens.

Some mortals became gods, achieving divinity through deeds of greatness that garnered widespread faith.

There are also gods born of natural phenomena, essentially created by the collective belief of countless individuals.

The Sun God arose because countless people’s faith brought forth the radiant sun.

The Sun God is the Sun God, but the sun is merely a star.

The Sun God worshipped by the ancient fallen empire manifested as a fiery bird, a flame eagle, or a winged serpent dragon. Meanwhile, the empire now worships the Sun God as a handsome man, joyful, intelligent, possessing a sunny disposition. He also assumes other forms, like an elder or a beautiful person.

Hearing this, Leon tentatively felt relieved. It seemed his absorption of Sun and Moon Essence had no connection to the Sun God; he was simply drawing power from that blazing fireball in the sky.

Leon wished to ask more—for instance, whether there was a Creator God, whether an omnipotent Creator God could create a stone he himself couldn’t lift, and what divinity and divine essence truly were—but the Ancient Jade Dragon admitted ignorance, knowing only bits and pieces and couldn’t guarantee accuracy, as much of it was hearsay.

"I’ve told you everything you wanted to know." Although they had talked for less than an hour, the Ancient Jade Dragon inexplicably felt his mouth becoming dry. Language and words carry power.

"Now you can perform for me, right?"

The Ancient Jade Dragon looked at Leon, thinking that many Colorful Dragons were apostates. Even though they knew of the gods’ existence—among whom Tiamat shaped the Colorful Dragons—they firmly believed these divine beings were nothing more than powerful entities wrongly claiming privileges that didn’t belong to them. They held fast to the belief that one day they, too, would become equally mighty. Yet, someone as indifferent to gods as Leon was still rare.

"Many chaotic and evil Red Dragons love betraying trust, but I’m not that kind of Red Dragon." Leon genuinely felt he’d gained significant knowledge today and didn’t mind acting as an entertainer for a while.

True to his word, Leon pulled off a scale and used the Downy Hairs technique to summon a clone, allowing the Ancient Jade Dragon to observe, even lifting its claw to touch it.

"Is this a Saint Avatar?" The Ancient Jade Dragon circled the clone summoned by Leon again and again. Pitifully, he only knew of Saint Avatars from hearsay and had never seen one in person.

"I don’t know anything about Saint Avatars; this is just a clone I summoned." The Ancient Jade Dragon dared to ask, and Leon didn’t hide anything. He was always reciprocating: treating bad people badly and good people kindly—repaying virtue with virtue and grievances with grievance.

The Ancient Jade Dragon scrutinized Leon’s clone for a long time, asking numerous questions until the clone disappeared. Then he remarked, "I heard you know how to use a sword—is that true?"

"You sure know a lot..." Leon didn’t decline but drew the Catastrophe Blade and effortlessly demonstrated the Sleeve of the Universe technique, leaving the Ancient Jade Dragon stunned.

"My lair is on the Lost Plateau. I’ve long heard of the Cliff Sword’s renown, but only recently did I learn it had scales resembling rubies and once proclaimed itself a Ruby Dragon," the Ancient Jade Dragon said.

As for lair preferences, Jade Dragons and Red Dragons were quite similar, liking warm spaces and especially favoring volcanic regions—which often led to conflicts with Fire Giants.

Leon performed Sword Control Technique, commanding flying swords to zip across the sky, then showcased Hand Palm Bomb, Samadhi True Fire, Soul Summoning Mantra, and other spells. Anyway, he had used them countless times in various situations, witnessed by many, so he had no reason to hide them.

For spells the Ancient Jade Dragon wasn’t familiar with, he didn’t ask, and Leon didn’t volunteer information, keeping secret his ability to breathe nature’s spiritual energy, absorb Sun and Moon Essence, and his practice of the Inner Core Dual Cultivation Method—answering questions only when asked.

After showcasing each spell once, Leon’s mana was half depleted, and he said, "That’s more or less everything."

"Hmm, hmm." The Ancient Jade Dragon, reluctant to end, said, "I’ve heard your mate is a Blue Dragon who built a Mage Tower—is that true?"

"It’s true... You’ve even heard about her?" Leon raised his chin slightly. "It’s right over there."

"Why are you looking for her?" Leon asked.

"I’m just curious about a Blue Dragon building a Mage Tower," the Ancient Jade Dragon replied.

A sudden roar echoed.

Leon followed the sound and saw Cecilia.

Green Dragons rarely visited Leon’s Volcanic Island. However, ever since Tassera came over, Cecilia would drop by about every one to two days. Of course, one could say her governing of the forest was running smoothly. Unless Leon chose to assist her, she couldn’t further expand her territory in the short term, leaving her with time to venture out.

Cecilia landed at the volcano’s crater and noticed the Ancient Jade Dragon staring at her intently, so she quickly hid beside Leon.

Leon noticed the Ancient Jade Dragon’s gaze fixed on Cecilia and warned, "This is my handmaid; you shouldn’t covet her."

"I’m not coveting her. I’m already an Ancient Dragon—I’m past caring about such matters. My sole interest lies in satisfying my curiosity, with my most pressing task being to find His Majesty." The Ancient Jade Dragon explained, "I just feel she... Don’t you think her scales resemble mine?"

Leon glanced at Cecilia, then at the Ancient Jade Dragon, and said, "They do look a bit similar."

"This child..." The Ancient Jade Dragon lost interest in the Blue Dragon’s Mage Tower and approached Cecilia to examine her closely. "Perhaps she has Jade Dragon lineage."

"However, judging by her appearance and body proportions, she completely resembles a Green Dragon. If she does have Jade Dragon lineage, it shouldn’t be much—no more than a quarter, maybe an eighth," the Ancient Jade Dragon pondered aloud.

Upon hearing this, Cecilia stepped forward and said, "I’ve never heard of having Jade Dragon lineage. Don’t make wild claims."

"Then consider it wild talk from me." The Ancient Jade Dragon remained indifferent, spread his wings, and said, "I’m off to check out the Blue Dragon’s Mage Tower."

"You can pay her a visit, but don’t spy on her; it could easily lead to misunderstandings." Leon sensed the Ancient Jade Dragon had a bit of tact. "If you’re willing to share knowledge on illusions, she’ll undoubtedly welcome you to visit her Mage Tower."

"Got it." The Ancient Jade Dragon flew off without hesitation.

As they watched the Ancient Jade Dragon leave the volcano’s crater, Cecilia turned to Leon curiously and asked, "Who was that Jade Dragon, and how does Master know him?"

Leon recounted his encounter with the Ancient Jade Dragon.

"Do you think I have Jade Dragon lineage?" Cecilia reflected.

"Maybe." Leon replied, "Your scales do resemble his. Also, don’t you think your resistance to heat is unusually high? Tassera can’t tolerate the temperature here, but you can handle it just fine. Green Dragons don’t usually have flame resistance, but Jade Dragons do... Moreover, Jade Dragons are the most inquisitive, cunning, and manipulative of the Gemstone Dragons, and you embody their playful nature well."

"What you’re saying makes some sense," Cecilia said. "But I still can’t create Spiritual Energy abilities."

"Want to ask that Ancient Jade Dragon about it?" Leon suggested. "Spiritual Energy is quite impressive."

"I’ll ask him!" Cecilia eagerly exclaimed. What troubled her most was her lack of strength. If she could master Spiritual Energy, she believed she wouldn’t lose to Tassera.

"Go ahead," Leon said.

Leon wasn’t concerned whether Cecilia had Jade Dragon lineage. It didn’t make much difference—even mastering Spiritual Energy wouldn’t make her a match for him. His attention was now focused on gods. Should he contemplate gaining faith, perhaps starting with Watchtower Port...

When Cecilia returned, Leon had already made up his mind. He realized he was still a teenage dragon, nearly twenty years away from becoming a young dragon. It was too early to worry about such matters, especially since all his powers had been granted by his Golden Finger. He shouldn’t be scatterbrained.