Chapter 28

The ability to summon clouds and rain, for Li Shaoying, who grew up in a livestock family, was no different from that of a deity.

Their family raised so many cattle and sheep, which needed to eat grass, and the grass required rain to grow. During those dry summers and rainless late autumns, the whole family would expend a great deal of energy herding the cattle and sheep to places with grass.

This process was not only exhausting but also made it easier to lose the livestock.

Moreover, without rain, the grass would not grow, and the cattle and sheep would often starve to death, which was a devastating disaster for herders. It could mean that the whole family would have no money to buy food or clothes and might not survive the winter.

The ability to summon clouds and rain, the mystical arts of the Azure Dragon.

If I had this ability, wouldn't the whole village revere me as a god?

"Divine arts can summon rain and snow, and cast curses. Each type of dragon possesses different abilities, even dragons of the same bloodline may develop entirely different skills during their growth and cultivation." Even while flying, Teacher Duan Lan did not forget to lecture.

The wind howled fiercely, but her voice was clear and resonant in their ears.

The other students listened intently, mainly because they were tired of the monotonous scenery of the plains. However, Duan Lan was someone they never tired of watching.

Dragons are divided into three major categories.

Ancient Dragons.

Giant Dragons.

Azure Dragons.

Ancient Dragons are the rulers of the land.

They possess unmatched strength and brute force, as well as some ancient combat techniques. Most have robust bodies, fierce fangs, sharp claws, and skin as hard as stone.

From Zhu Minglang's perspective, Xiaohexi's main bloodline should be closer to that of an Ancient Dragon.

So if it could be equipped with a set of heavy armor, it would be invincible!

Giant Dragons have strong physiques.

They can also cast destructive magic, and most have a pair of powerful wings, allowing them to soar in the sky and fight, or charge through the mountains.

Luo Xiao's Gilded Fire Dragon is a creature with a bloodline closer to that of a Giant Dragon, mastering the magic of flames!

Compared to Ancient Dragons and Giant Dragons, Azure Dragons are not as physically strong, but their mystical arts are extremely powerful. Even Giant Dragons skilled in magic cannot match the subtle spells of Azure Dragons.

Duan Lan's Zhanchuan Dragon is a very pure Azure Dragon.

Although dragons are divided into these three major bloodlines, most dragons in the world have several bloodlines.

Mixed-blood dragons might inherit combat techniques, magic, and mystical arts, or they might have none of these.

Pure-blooded dragons have an 80-90% chance of possessing the specific abilities of their bloodline, and the other two abilities will not appear no matter how much they are cultivated.

Bai Qi was once a pure-blooded Azure Dragon, but after transforming back into a dragon this time, Zhu Minglang felt that it had changed somewhat. The ice-velvet feathers covering its wings seemed more like magical crystals.

...

Ronggu City is situated below a mountain stream. Due to the colder autumn this year, the stream's source had frozen early, and the entire stream flowing out of the valley was less than a trickle, let alone enough to irrigate the vast rice fields and pastures of Ronggu City.

The rice here, due to the climate and terrain, matures later than in other places. With no rain for a month, the lack of sufficient stream water for irrigation could turn a potential bountiful harvest into a drought disaster, severely affecting livestock.

In the desolate sky above the old city, six flying bird-dragons landed in the center of the city one after another.

A group of people dressed in brown robes respectfully approached, as if they had seen a savior.

"Welcome, two esteemed teachers from Lichuan Academy!" said a young-looking man who seemed to be the leader.

"How could you, as the city lord of Ronggu City, not foresee the lack of water for irrigation due to the frozen mountain stream? The Dongxu Fort, fifty miles away, is on the front lines of the battlefield, and food supplies are needed. If the barbarians from Wutu invade, do you think your head will be safe?" the academy mentor Ke Bei angrily said as he descended.

"The teacher's reprimand is well-deserved. A month ago, I requested a rain dragon from Zulong City, but few dragon tamers have the abilities of Teacher Ke Bei and Teacher Duan Lan, so the matter was delayed. Fortunately, this request reached Lichuan Academy. Please, esteemed teachers and dragon-taming students, rest at the mansion first," the young city lord replied respectfully.

"Since this concerns the front lines of the war, there's no time to delay. Let's start right away," Mentor Ke Bei said impatiently.

"It's about to be night, and the temperature will drop significantly. If the rain you summon turns into frost, it will damage the crops and freeze the grass," the brown-robed city lord said.

"Alright, let's do it tomorrow then," Duan Lan nodded.

Ke Bei couldn't say anything more.

"Please!"

Entering the mansion, Mentor Ke Bei, who was leading the way, did not forget his teaching mission. He calmly addressed the students behind him.

The originally noisy students immediately quieted down and listened attentively.

Seeing that the academy mentors had such high status even outside, the students naturally dared not show any disrespect.

"This time, the rain-summoning will mainly be demonstrated by Teacher Duan Lan's Zhanchuan Dragon, using the mystical arts of the Azure Dragon. Get up early tomorrow and don't miss the demonstration," Mentor Ke Bei continued.

...

As night fell, the eastern sky was filled with clusters of crimson light clouds, illuminating Ronggu City like a brilliant dusk.

Fifty miles away was the battlefield. Looking at the vast, crimson clouds, Zhu Minglang quickly recalled a pale-faced man and a robust, fiery-scaled dragon.

"That guy seems even stronger," Zhu Minglang muttered to himself.

Zhu Minglang was not a fool; he knew that the man with the Gilded Fire Dragon was now the greatest threat to him.

He was cruel, cold-blooded, and most importantly, had a terrifying obsession with Li Yunzi, as if he would do anything to possess her.

His identity would eventually be exposed, and the news of the tramp and the princess escaping from the dungeon was already spreading.

With just a little investigation, his situation would be revealed.

Luo Xiao would certainly not let him off.

This was his first major enemy, and he must not be careless!

"Zhu Minglang." A gentle voice interrupted Zhu Minglang's thoughts.

"Teacher Duan Lan." Zhu Minglang maintained the respect due to a teacher, placing his left hand on his right and bowing slightly.

"Tomorrow, around noon, I will summon rain, but the rain can only temporarily nourish the land. For future irrigation and feeding the livestock, a large amount of water is needed. I hope you can walk upstream along the stream at dawn and see if anything is blocking the waterway and cutting off the water source," Duan Lan said to Zhu Minglang.

"Sure." Zhu Minglang nodded. This was the duty of an assistant.

"Don't go too far; the deep mountains and old forests may have demons. Return before the rain-summoning begins," Duan Lan added.

Zhu Minglang bowed again and watched as Teacher Duan Lan left.

...

At the first light of dawn, Zhu Minglang woke up. The scent of the incense from the previous night still lingered in the room, giving a refreshing feeling.

Just as he was about to get up, Zhu Minglang noticed a spotless little creature by his bed. Its delicate tail coiled around its small body, looking like a graceful and noble little cat.

Its luxurious fur was perfectly neat, and with each gentle breath, the snow-white feathers of the Ice Dawn White Dragon slightly opened, like a pure coral being gently swayed by a soft wave.

Zhu Minglang smiled and gently stroked the Ice Dawn White Dragon's fur, especially the tassel-like snowflakes on its neck, which was a delightful sensation.

"Yuuu~" The Ice Dawn White Dragon seemed to enjoy being petted, unconsciously rubbing its small body against Zhu Minglang's fingers.

"You're awake. Let's go for a mountain patrol," Zhu Minglang said to the Ice Dawn White Dragon.

"Yi!" Little Bai Qi nodded, happy to go for a walk in the mountains with Zhu Minglang.

"Shouldn't you have advanced by now? Why are you still so small?" Zhu Minglang looked at Little Bai Qi curiously.

Calculating the time, Little Bai Qi should have entered the growth stage after waking up from its slumber. According to the books he had read, its juvenile stage was very short.

But Zhu Minglang didn't notice any changes in Little Bai Qi.

Perhaps it just needed more time. Zhu Minglang wasn't in a hurry. It might have been bored in the spirit realm and wanted to come out for some fresh air.

...

After feeding Little Bai Qi some flower nectar, Zhu Minglang noticed that despite its bird-like wings and butterfly-like velvet wings, it had cat-like limbs and soft, adorable paws.

Its beak was not sharp like a bird's but more like a deer's. When feeding it flower nectar, Zhu Minglang had to pour the nectar into his palm and offer it to the dragon, who lazily extended its small tongue and drank the nectar like a deer drinking water.

As he walked upstream along the stream, Zhu Minglang slowly fed the Ice Dawn White Dragon, paying special attention to the nearby farmland, where he noticed some frost had formed.

Continuing deeper into the stream valley, Zhu Minglang moved quickly. His physique was much stronger than that of an ordinary person, unlike some dragon tamers who were weak without their dragons, not even as strong as some martial artists.

Climbing over the mountain ahead, the sky was already bright, and the warm sunlight illuminated the clean forest, where all living things began to absorb energy, and birds and beasts started to forage...