novelhk Page 283
Page 283
As Qin He spoke, he pointed to an area on the map:
"Do you recognize what this is?"
Following the direction Qin He was pointing, Shuanghua noticed the dark blue tubular pattern.
"Hmm... are these the bones of some kind of monster?"
He sighed. It seemed that the girl with the ice crown on her head was indeed not very smart.
Elder dragons are a species with very few descendants and are more like wild beasts. Their lives are basically about finding food when they are hungry and going back to their dens to sleep when they are tired.
Although some ancient dragons' lairs contain gems known as dragon treasures, they are not particularly concerned about the amount of wealth involved.
As a result, these ancient dragons lived like a herd of animals. Even these special ancient dragons, who were naturally beautiful and possessed human-level intelligence, were no exception.
If you had to sum up Shuanghua in one sentence, it would be: a village girl with immense power. She's lived for over a thousand years, but she's never really seen much of the world.
"This is a dragon-slaying cannon. To put it simply... it's what those gray dwarves plan to use to unleash the breath of a fire dragon, and it's much more powerful than the original breath."
"Compared to the dragon lances equipped in the fortress, it is completely different in both structure and power; it is something that can be used to attack super-large Elder Dragons."
Because its primary material was a large amount of dragon marrow, the barrel of the first-generation Dragon Slayer Cannon was forged from melted, extremely pure Sparrowstone. Each cannon required approximately two hundred Sparrowstones.
But the Grey Dwarves went all out, using only Sparrow Steel on the surface, while the interior was made of Crane Steel, cast from Crane Stone.
The large-scale adoption of this steel was made possible thanks to the red dragon blacksmith, Hibchad. He swallowed the Spirit Crane Stone ore directly, then consumed a sufficient amount of burning coal. He then used the magical flames within the red dragon's body to smelt it—
As a result, the Grey Dwarves possessed a more durable cannon barrel than the original Dragon Slayer Cannon. The Spirit Crane Steel could withstand many more shots.
Iceborne, not understanding, simply said:
"Fire dragons? I could tear several apart in the time it takes to eat a meal. The gray dwarves think they can use this dragon-slaying cannon against me... they're simply overestimating themselves!"
Qin He continued:
"It's not that simple. It does have more power than the Dragon Slayer Gun. According to intelligence, these two Dragon Slayer Guns used the marrow of six hundred Rathalos."
"The destructive power it can cause in an instant is enough to seriously injure both of you."
Although the original Dragon Slayer Cannon failed in the battle against the colossal Elder Dragon, no one knows to what extent the Grey Dwarves modified these things.
Appropriate caution is absolutely necessary... but by the time Qin He came to his senses, Shuang Hua had already vanished.
"Your Highness Qin He! Don't worry, it's just a mere fire dragon bone marrow, watch me freeze it back!"
In the blink of an eye, the Ice Dragon had already attacked the gray dwarf's frozen fortress. With a flap of her wings, a blizzard swept up, and the freezing cold caused the temperature on the twelfth floor to plummet further.
She's an Ice Dragon that can freeze volcanoes, after all. If she can fire these cannons, what kind of queen of the frozen land is she?
Many of the grey dwarves didn't even have time to cry for help before they were instantly turned into ice sculptures. Even though they were wearing protective clothing that shielded them from the black dragon scale powder, they still collapsed and died in the snow under the extreme low temperatures of the Ice Dragon's full power.
"Bowmen! Small Enchanted Dragonslayer Gun!"
The gray dwarf's telepathic message prompted the ballistae at the city gate to react immediately. Taking advantage of the shelter provided by the buildings that protected them from the cold wind, they promptly opened fire on their ballistae.
The Small Enchanted Dragonslayer Gun sounds impressive, but it's really just a more powerful ballista.
Forced to release the moisture and natural energy within her body, the Ice Dragon once again entered the Frost Wrap state. The magnificent ice armor constructed of ice shards allowed her to be unharmed as she was bathed in the crossbow fire of the gray dwarves.
"Damn it! It's coming!"
With a twist of her waist, Shuanghua's incredibly swift ice crystal spear pierced through the cannon turret.
She stabbed the gray dwarf to death on the spot with precision, and with an extremely elegant movement, she wiped away the blood on the snow with her sharp tail spear before sweeping it across another cannon.
"Lord Hibchad! The Ice Dragon is about to break in!"
The gray dwarf was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, while the fat red dragon remained calm and composed.
"Burn your majesty, go!"
Transforming its own dragon might into a burning aura, the terrifying heat radiating out spread out, protecting the entire frozen fortress within.
Even though the Ice Dragon used natural energy to drastically lower the temperature to a life-threatening level, Hibchad was still able to protect the fortress from damage.
But is that really the case?
Under the radiant heat of the burning majesty, although the grey dwarves were excluded from the majesty's radiance by Hibchad, the two towering dragon-slaying cannons emitted a barely perceptible crackling sound.
"Hee~"
Qin He noticed a barely perceptible micro-expression appear on Hibchad's fat, cat-like face. Suddenly, the corners of its mouth turned up... What was it planning to do?
"Close the city gates. I can't fight that Iceborne Dragon head-on. You all hurry and prepare to activate the Dragon Slayer Cannons and Dragon Rifles inside the city. It's time for me to make my move when the Comet arrives!"
Suddenly, things changed. The city gate that the fortress had opened was originally intended to allow Hibchad to pass through and go outside to fight the Ice Dragon.
What if the Red Dragon doesn't go out to intercept it, and Velkhana flies straight through the city gate and comes in to destroy the Dragon Slayer Cannon?
"Keep quiet and obey my orders."
Seeing the Frostwyrm pounce, Hibchad timed it perfectly—
"Raise the city gates!"
The gray dwarves immediately obeyed and raised the steel gates that defended against the frost monster tide.
She crashed headfirst into the city gate, gazing at the smug face of the fat red dragon inside. Frostflower was enraged and slammed her head, shoulders, and wings against the steel gate before her.
Judging from the way the Ice Dragon was behaving, it was as if it thought the iron gate was provoking it and wouldn't be willing to break it down before it would come in.
……
A scene that seems familiar...
Qin He was on the verge of tears. If only a white dragon had been brought in, things wouldn't have turned out this way. Even a white dragon would know to fly over the city gate or dig a hole and go inside.
"Sigh, I really can't count on her."
Chapter 361 Secret Dragon Island, Activated!
Qin He could understand Iceborne's foolish charge straight for the fortress. Although she was an ancient dragon so beautiful she possessed human form, as the saying goes, one's nature cannot be taken away.
They act solely on instinct, beating up anyone they don't like. This is why Elder Dragons are often referred to as powerful beasts.
"Xingyuan, be careful. Prioritize destroying the Dragon Slayer Cannon. Xiuxiu and I will attack from the main gate and the east gate respectively, and dismantle the Dragon Slayer Spears there."
"The White Dragon tribe, lead twenty Wind-Drifting Dragons to attack the west gate of the fortress. The Wind-Drifting Dragons will lure the enemy, while the White Dragons dig a tunnel into the city. The other dragons will provide cover—"
"Sang Shen, Mo Yu, Yue Huang, don't engage in a direct confrontation with Xi Bochad. Focus on destroying the city walls and creating breaches. If I'm not mistaken... we can win this battle very easily."
Originally, Xuezhi could have spread spores for support before the blizzard started. But now, the blizzard stirred up by the Ice Dragon is just too big.
Secondly, the healing effect of the spores would simultaneously affect all humanoid creatures infected with the spores. Therefore, Qin He did not have Xue Zhi take action.
The Black Snow Mercenary Group also joined the battle, and with Trisna's command, their combat power was vastly different from before.
"For His Highness Qin He! All citizens of the Dragon Abyss Empire, charge with me!"
The banner of the Black Dragon Abyss Empire will be rewritten, and Qin He will establish his territory in the same way.
A purple dragon with outstretched wings leaped onto the city wall and swept its claws across, sending a dozen gray dwarf warriors flying off the wall.
Volper made a decisive move, relying on his own fire resistance to charge into Hibchad's burning aura and destroy the dragon-slaying spear that was within reach.
But when she risked her life to enter the area affected by the heatwave, she discovered that she had not been burned.
Volper possesses some resistance to fire and lightning. However, discussing resistance without considering its magnitude is utterly misleading; having fire resistance doesn't mean you're completely immune to the majesty of the Ascended Red Dragon at Tier 8.
This can only mean one thing... Shibochad never included Qin He's forces within the range of his burning majesty!
Attacking from the main gate, Qin He saw that Walper was unharmed by the heat of the burning aura, and that he himself had not been burned, which further confirmed his earlier guess.
Hibchad intended to help Qin He occupy the gray dwarves' frozen fortress.
As for why it does this, isn't it obvious?
The Grey Dwarves have kept Hebchad in captivity, from hatching to his current adulthood.
For over three hundred years, although Hibchad possessed wealth, gourmet food, and status, he was merely a "boilerman" among the grey dwarves.
In order to give the red dragon more firepower to help it smelt metal and forge weapons, the gray dwarves disregarded whether the red dragon could withstand it and fed it excessive amounts of various magic crystals and magic cores, intending to expand its power.
The gray dwarves possess powerful figures at the mid-stage of the Ascension Realm, while Hibchad is currently at the early stage. They are gradually becoming a threat to the gray dwarves.
So the grey dwarves decided to train new red dragon blacksmiths. They would raise a new red dragon cub in the same way, turning it into a fat, immobile dragon.
The grey dwarves have done this many times before, replacing the red dragon blacksmith. Hibchad just happens to be the strongest of them all.
The new dragonflights will breathe dragon breath for them, never to know what flight is again. Hibchad will be executed after everything has settled down.
Furthermore, if the Grey Dwarves' plan to capture and domesticate the Teostra and Lunastra succeeds, the thermal energy from the dramatic temperature changes brought about by these two ancient dragons alone would be enough for the Grey Dwarves to do many things.
Though corrupted by wealth and delicacies, Hibchad remains a red dragon. Its ferocity and savagery are tempered by tireless forging and breath control, and its wisdom is fueled by the desire for vengeance.
Now, the Red Dragon has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity right in front of it!
One night, Tiamat went into Hibchad's dream.
……
The magnificent five-colored dragon queen, the Dark Lady. The five Dragon Kings of the Dragon Realm Council, her fame is resounding throughout the world; she is the mother of all the colorful dragons.
“Hibbachard, my child.”
That night, from the beautiful, crimson head of the Dragon Queen, Hibchad understood what a red dragon should look like—a look he could never possess again…
"His Majesty!"
Hibchad instinctively lowered its obese, hairless, cat-like body, a testament to the gray dwarves' confinement of its freedom.
“My child, you have suffered. As your mother, I will guide you on the path to freedom.”
Tiamat's green dragon head flicked out a forked tongue like a snake's tongue, as she prepared a way out for Hibchad, which would also facilitate Qin He's actions.
"In a few days, my adopted son, the future Dragon Emperor, the bloodline of Nidhogg, will arrive in this cold place."
"Qin He and Zhong Liuxiu, they are my best children. Even if the opposing side is the Dragon God Aio, they would still throw out the adamantite battle axe to declare war in order to protect me, their mother."
Whenever Qin He is mentioned, Tiamat's five dragon heads gleam with a benevolent light. It is a tenderness that no other dragon in the world has ever received.
“Hebchad, if you want freedom, surrender to him the moment you see him, and he will break down the tofu-like gates of the Grey Dwarves.”
Tiamat's blue dragon head followed up:
"All you have to do is follow him! Take your freedom back from the gray dwarves."
“Children, I would rather my red dragons cooperate with the Gith to tear apart the octopus tentacles of the evil Mind Flayers in the Astral Plane than see you become charcoal in the steel furnaces of the Grey Dwarves, or meat on their plates!”
With just a few words, Tiamat had stirred the red dragon's thirst for revenge and freedom. It remained prostrate at the dragon queen's feet:
"Your Majesty! I swear... I will forever be loyal to you and Prince Qin He!"
Tiamat was very satisfied with the Red Dragon's performance and continued:
“Very good, Hibchad. You’ve suffered a lot of injustice here, but by following Qin He, you can get everything back!”
"Help him conquer the entire fortress. After that, you can slaughter all the gray dwarves who imprisoned you and regain your freedom!"
"By following him, you can have a legendary adventure that any dragon could only dream of."
The Dragon Queen needs no further explanation; even though the world considers the Red Dragon a brute among dragons, when they need to employ their wisdom, what enemy in this world can withstand their destruction?
After that, Hebchad used his position as a red dragon blacksmith to leave several hidden marks on the gray dwarves' powerful weapon, the Dragon Slayer Cannon.
At crucial moments, it can use its burning aura to target these weaknesses and damage the cannon barrel. Not to mention, the gray dwarves are about to go to war with the Ice Dragon.
Hibchad naturally understood the Ice Dragon's ability to freeze an erupting volcano. Using the extreme chill of Frostbloom, its burning power could further damage the cannon.
Next, all the gray dwarves need to do is fire those two dragon-slaying cannons. Their fate will be truly tragic!
As the Grey Dwarves forged beneath the fortress, specifically designed to prevent White Dragons or other monsters from burrowing in, Mulberry smashed through, the White Dragon army and Mulberry poured directly into the Frozen Fortress.
Realizing that even the white dragon hadn't been harmed by Hibchad's burning majesty, even the dumbest of the grey dwarves could understand what had happened:
"Hebrew! You beast, do you want to betray the Grey Dwarves? We've raised you from a fledgling dragon until now, feeding you gold coins, magic crystals, and delicious food! When have we ever mistreated you?"
The obese red dragon, instead of getting angry, laughed at the gray dwarves' insults and betrayal.
It roared and redirected the radiation from its burning majesty to the gray dwarf soldiers within the city!
In an instant, the gray dwarves' tens of thousands of troops were wiped out. The burning majesty of the ascended dragon was a walking natural disaster!
"You foolish bastard! I ask you, what in this world could be more important to a proud red dragon than the freedom to soar through the skies?"
"Even if you don't kill me, I will still slaughter all of you dark, lowly creatures from the depths of the earth. I would rather be a young dragon that dies young in the wild than be slaughtered like livestock by you lowly creatures!"
Even so, despite having the opportunity for revenge, Hibchad still made a point of keeping the Grey Dwarves' skilled craftsmen.