C128 Anger

"Yes, Village Chief!"

A group of youths, their faces twisted into malicious grins, charged toward the screaming villagers. With a few well-placed punches, the cries quickly subsided. The victims were soon rendered unconscious and dragged to the back of the crowd.

Onlookers were a mix of emotions—some seethed with silent anger, others remained indifferent, and a few were simply bewildered. But for many, there was a mingling of guilt and relief. They were relieved that it wasn't their child being sacrificed, securing them a worry-free existence for the next three years.

"I never imagined the Dragon Clan in this region to be so savage, demanding human children as offerings for their consumption," Ning Qi observed the scene, his face set in a stony expression.

From what he understood, the Qintang Empire also made tributes to the Dragon Clan, but they never directly interacted with them. They delivered their offerings to the Hundred Herb Sect, who then liaised with the ruling giant dragons of the territory. Consequently, although there were reports of dragons killing or devouring humans without cause, such incidents were relatively few.

All this turmoil was the work of the Devil Dragon King.

The Scarlet Flame Dragon soared through the sky before descending in a swirl of heat in front of the gaunt village chief. It glanced at the child marked for sacrifice and let out a mocking laugh. "You insects, it seems the tribute is short a few this time, isn't it?"

The village chief bowed low, his voice a groveling whisper, "Lord Chi Yan, there are precisely ten, the correct number."

The Scarlet Flame Dragon huffed, "This year, your Grey Wolf Village will give me five additional children!"

The village chief's heart skipped a beat. "What?"

"Have you forgotten? When that old creature from Black Wind Mountain came to your village to feast on your people a year ago, it was I who drove it away," the Scarlet Flame Dragon said, eyes narrowing.

"Make it fifteen then."

The village chief nodded and turned to his aide, "Bring out five more children."

"Yes!" came the prompt reply.

A wave of panic swept through the crowd as parents clutched their children tighter. Soon, five more children were selected. Amidst their wails and the adults' cries of despair, the children were presented before the Scarlet Flame Dragon.

"Lord Chi Yan, are you pleased?"

The village chief asked with a smile.

"Excellent! I shall sample their flavor first."

The Scarlet Flame Dragon responded cheerily, then lunged at a terrified six-year-old girl. Her parents, witnessing this, promptly passed out.

"Monster! You dare!"

An enraged roar erupted, and a streak of purple light hurtled towards the Scarlet Flame Dragon.

Ning Qi, wielding the Dragon Slaying Blade, aimed a fierce blow at the dragon's head. With a thunderous roar, the Scarlet Flame Dragon twisted its head aside, narrowly avoiding the strike.

The little girl, nearly a victim, was frozen in place with fear.

Seeing the commotion, the village chief bellowed, "Who dares to interrupt Lord Chi Yan?"

Ning Qi leapt down from Purple's back and approached the village chief. Recognizing Ning Qi as merely a Peak Grand Battle Master, and himself a Three-Star Battle Spirit, the village chief attempted to strike him down.

However, Ning Qi's palm strike sent the chief flying into the crowd, leaving him gravely wounded.

"Village chief!"

His followers rushed to his side, anxious about his condition.

The onlookers backed away, eyeing Ning Qi with trepidation.

Their fear wasn't just that Ning Qi had the power to launch the village chief through the air; it was the audacity he showed in confronting the Scarlet Flame Dragon.

"Child, return to your parents," Ning Qi instructed, patting the girl's head gently. Snapping out of her daze, she ran towards her parents.

"Daddy! Mommy!"

She called out as she ran.

Her parents, roused by her voice, quickly recovered from their faint and embraced her tightly. Meanwhile, the other children, emboldened by Ning Qi's presence, also made their way back to the crowd, no longer at risk of being offered up.

The Scarlet Flame Dragon watched Ning Qi with an icy glare. "You think you can challenge a great and holy dragon with just a Fifth Rank Purple Lightning Bird? You're seeking your own demise!"

In that moment, a golden shadow flitted around Ning Qi. While all eyes were on Purple and Ning Qi, it stealthily entered the Scarlet Flame Dragon's lair and discovered a hefty mound of Dragon Shit. With an excited squeak, it began feasting with gusto.

If Ning Qi witnessed this spectacle, he'd surely cast Jin out of the sect. To think, it was actually eating dragon dung!

"You're a Fifth Rank Giant Dragon, and it's a Fifth Rank Demon Beast. Had you not been harboring fear, you would've attacked me by now, wouldn't you?" Ning Qi taunted with a cold sneer.

"Fine! I'll demonstrate the disparity between the Dragon Clan and a Demonic Beast!"

The Scarlet Flame Dragon unleashed a furious roar, its body enveloped in a blaze of fiery red flames. The heat was intense, sending a scorching wave toward the onlookers. Even those standing dozens of meters away felt their eyebrows singe. The crowd quickly backed away, clearing a vast open area.

In this clearing, only Ning Qi and Purple remained, confronting the Scarlet Flame Dragon.

"Purple, you take the left flank, and I'll take the right!" Ning Qi commanded.

With a piercing cry, Purple darted toward the Scarlet Flame Dragon at lightning speed. Its Purple Lightning Battle Power erupted with such force that it neutralized the Dragon's Alien Flame. Meanwhile, Ning Qi, wielding the Dragon Slaying Blade, launched an assault from the opposite side.

The Scarlet Flame Dragon paid Ning Qi no mind, seeing Purple as its sole threat. With a powerful beat of its wings, it engaged in a fierce battle with Purple.

Before long, both combatants sustained injuries, yet neither could claim victory.

"Host, you're being scorched by the Scarlet Flame. You're losing 100 HP every second!" the system alert chimed in as Ning Qi drew near the Scarlet Flame Dragon.

His HP was depleting at a rate of 100 per second. But Ning Qi's HP stood at a formidable 112,700, and he was equipped with several High-grade Earth Rank Revival Pills—each capable of restoring 200,000 HP. Thus, the damage was trivial to him.

Spotting an opening, Ning Qi advanced and struck the Scarlet Flame Dragon with his blade.

Simultaneously, he unleashed a Dragon Devourer Hellfire onto the beast.

The Dragon Slaying Battle Power, Dragon Slaying Blade, and Dragon Devourer Hellfire all amplified the damage to the Giant Dragon, bypassing its armor. Ning Qi's strike instantly depleted 7,000 HP from the Scarlet Flame Dragon!

"Dragon Devourer Hellfire?"

A flicker of panic flashed through the Scarlet Flame Dragon's eyes.

How could this Alien Flame, which arises in the Dragon Clan's tombs to feast on the souls of mighty dragons, manifest within a human? The Elders Guild, tasked with guarding these sacred grounds, would surely purge any such flame that emerged!

With this thought, the Scarlet Flame Dragon deemed it imperative to eliminate Ning Qi immediately. Should Ning Qi unleash another assault of that caliber, its soul might not endure the onslaught of the Dragon Devourer Hellfire!

"Purple, hold it down!"

Ning Qi bellowed upon detecting the Scarlet Flame Dragon's movements.

Purple redoubled its efforts, relentlessly grappling with the Scarlet Flame Dragon. The dragon, desperate to throw Purple off, snapped its fang-filled maw at Purple's critical points. Alas, Purple's agility outmatched the dragon's. It dodged every attack and struck back with precision.