Chapter 53

Zhu Minglang bit his finger until it bled and quickly drew a symbol on the forehead of the little dragon hatchling. This symbol was the Spirit Pact, a contract to be signed with the soul that was about to fade away.

The little hatchling offered no resistance; with its internal organs shattered, it likely had no strength to resist.

Its soul, now bound by the Spirit Pact to Zhu Minglang, was successfully sent into his Spirit Realm, where the spiritual energy within the realm would help it hold on to life.

This was actually a very dangerous move.

The little hatchling was a dying life. If it did not survive after the Spirit Pact was signed, it would be equivalent to the death of Zhu Minglang’s dragon companion, and the Spirit Pact would be broken.

Once the Spirit Pact was broken, it would severely backfire on Zhu Minglang, causing him great soul damage. Moreover, the broken Spirit Pact would be irreparable and could not be used to form a pact with another dragon.

Zhu Minglang currently only had three Spirit Pacts.

To become a Dragon Shepherd, losing an important Spirit Pact during the growth process was a major taboo.

However, some lives exuded a certain indescribable radiance, making it very hard for Zhu Minglang to ignore.

He still went ahead with it.

Even if it meant making a sacrifice, Zhu Minglang hoped that the little hatchling in his arms could survive. It was so eager to stay in this world, even if its short life was filled with torment and pain.

...

It was already night, and Zhu Minglang thought the old man should be at the Dragon Storage Hall.

He flew to the Dragon Storage Hall, pushed open the door, and immediately saw the old man lying on a rattan chair, dozing off.

"Old Master Wu, please help me save it," Zhu Minglang said without hesitation, opening his Spirit Realm and placing the little hatchling in front of Old Master Wu.

Old Master Wu was startled awake by Zhu Minglang’s voice. What he saw was a blood-soaked hatchling, its body almost twisted out of shape, looking as pitiful as a dead dog on the roadside!

Old Master Wu’s first reaction was to lay the hatchling flat, then use his spiritual energy to form a warm, steam-like aura to protect the little dragon. He immediately realigned its bones to allow blood to circulate.

"Go to the Healing Pavilion and bring a wooden bucket filled with healing spring water, quickly!" Old Master Wu said to Zhu Minglang.

Zhu Minglang did not delay and immediately ran to the Healing Pavilion.

After signing the Spirit Pact, the little dragon’s pain was also transmitted to Zhu Minglang’s mind through the soul connection. Zhu Minglang could barely tolerate even a fraction of the soul feedback.

With the bond and connection, Zhu Minglang did not want the little dragon to die. He found a wooden bucket, filled it with healing spring water, and ran back.

...

The night grew deeper, and inside the Dragon Storage Hall, a group of little heads gathered curiously around the platform. They looked at the little dragon lying there, opening and closing its eyes repeatedly.

Finally, Old Master Wu wiped the sweat from his face with a blood-soaked cloth and told Zhu Minglang to pick up the little hatchling and immerse its body completely in the wooden bucket filled with healing spring water.

"Fortunately, you came in time," Old Master Wu sighed, adding, "Otherwise, I would have gone back to sleep."

"Will it survive?" Zhu Minglang asked, worried, as he looked at the little dragon in a deep coma.

"Hmph, as long as you brought it to me and it still had a breath, I can save it," Old Master Wu said.

"From the first day at the Dragon Training Academy, I could tell you were a living god," Zhu Minglang praised sincerely.

"You were being reckless. A dying dragon, if it dies, so be it. Does the forest lose fewer lives each day? Can a young dragon not die? You almost jeopardized your own future!" Old Master Wu’s tone grew stern, disapproving of Zhu Minglang’s actions.

After understanding the situation, Old Master Wu did not know how to evaluate this student of his.

For a Dragon Shepherd, the soul is very important. If one wants to advance further, the Spirit Pact must not be broken, as it affects not only a dragon but also the Dragon Shepherd’s own growth.

"It was a special situation," Zhu Minglang said with a bitter smile.

"Tonight, you will keep watch. I’m going back to sleep. By the way, settle the bill later; the Healing Pavilion is not a charity." Old Master Wu rubbed his waist and walked out of the Dragon Storage Hall.

Zhu Minglang hurriedly bowed in gratitude. Since the old man had helped him again, it was his duty to keep watch for the night!

"Oh, do you know what kind of dragon it is?" Old Master Wu suddenly turned back at the door and asked Zhu Minglang.

"I don’t know yet," Zhu Minglang replied.

"You, not knowing what kind of dragon it is, signed the Spirit Pact... You’re lucky it has good fortune. When it wakes up, feed it some nanmu juice to regenerate its green blood," Old Master Wu said, managing a smile.

"Isn’t it a Green Forest Dragon or a Forest Giant Dragon?" Zhu Minglang asked in surprise.

"Much stronger."

With that, the old man reached the door, and a few particularly clingy little spirits followed him but were quickly scolded back.

Zhu Minglang bid him farewell and closed the door of the Dragon Storage Hall.

He patrolled around, and the little spirits were as noisy as ever. If he did not put them back in their nests, they would not go to sleep.

It was not until the middle of the night that the little spirits finally fell asleep, and the Dragon Storage Hall finally became quiet.

Zhu Minglang walked to the wooden bucket and looked at the little hatchling, trying to see the extraordinary qualities that Old Master Wu mentioned. However, when he first saw it, it was covered in blood, and he would have to wait until it fully recovered to see its differences.

...

As winter began, the Dragon Training Academy was covered in sparkling frost. It hung from the branches that had lost their leaves and scattered among the low shrubs, covering the small courtyard.

Zhu Minglang stretched lazily and realized he was the earliest to wake up. His classmates seemed to be hiding in their beds, and even the most diligent Li Shaoying was nowhere to be seen training the little spirits.

Zhu Minglang was also tired, but he had no choice. He had quite a bit to do recently.

First, he had to go to the foundry early in the morning to practice his basic skills, which required diligence and persistence.

Fortunately, after advancing to a true Dragon Shepherd, Zhu Minglang’s physique was much stronger than before, and he no longer had to wander around the boat house with a sore and tired body, pondering life.

Second, he had a large amount of dragon lair treasure that needed to be sold at a suitable place to enrich himself. This way, he could buy more high-quality honey for Little White and craft the heavy armor he desired!