Brandon was extremely satisfied with his new body. He turned his attention to the surrounding rock walls, realizing they were filled with treasures. The rocks were the flesh of a god, the liquid was the god’s blood, and inside the rocks were Divine Power Crystals. If he could excavate the entire god’s corpse, who knew how many Divine Power Crystals he might find? Though he didn’t need them right now, they would undoubtedly be useful in the future. Plus, the Divine Power Crystals were beautiful. He imagined collecting them all and decorating his lair with them, sleeping atop a bed of crystals. The thought made his eyes gleam with golden light.
Without hesitation, he quickly climbed to the rock wall, extending his sharp claws to start digging. The muscle-textured rock was incredibly hard, and even with his newly evolved claws, sparks flew. His giant claws struck the wall, sending waves of numbness through him. After an hour, Brandon stopped, panting. Without energy, his body tired easily, and his muscles felt sore.
In that hour, despite his great strength, he had only managed to dig about five meters deep and had not found any traces of the Divine Power Crystals. Yellow, gel-like liquid began to seep from the rock wall again, soon forming a thin layer on the ground. This was valuable stuff; he could take some home later.
Suddenly, he smacked his forehead, realizing he had been thinking with his muscles. He had forgotten about magic. If he used a Swamp Spell on the rock wall, wouldn’t it make digging much easier? He cursed himself for his stupidity.
Brandon stepped back a bit and quickly cast the Swamp Spell on the rock wall. However, the rock showed no reaction. He cast it again, but still nothing. The magical fluctuations of the Swamp Spell dissipated upon contact with the rock, no matter how many times he cast it.
To his surprise, the rock wall was immune to magic. But considering it was formed from a god’s flesh and blood, Brandon understood. If a god’s body could be harmed by such a low-level spell, it wouldn’t be called a god. It seemed he had no choice but to continue being a miner.
Thus, Brandon alternated between cultivating and mining. After a month, he finally understood the Cyan Beast’s lifestyle: a mix of pain and pleasure.
In a month of digging, Brandon had reaped significant rewards, unearthing two more Divine Power Crystals, fueling his enthusiasm for mining. The thought of the glittering crystals made his eyes gleam with golden light and filled him with energy.
A thick layer of gel-like liquid had accumulated on the ground. When thirsty, Brandon drank a few sips and then cultivated. After a few days, the liquid no longer had any effect, and his body no longer experienced pain. Although his body didn’t undergo significant changes during this time, his physical strength more than doubled. Most of the energy he cultivated was absorbed by his body.
The area was rich in spiritual energy, comparable to that of a volcano, allowing Brandon to recover quickly. He believed that with focused cultivation, he could return to his original level in just ten days. However, his dragon essence had only just reached the earth level.
Brandon lay on the ground, gazing at the seven Divine Power Crystals emitting a mesmerizing green light. This was his only entertainment during his month of mining. Every time he felt like giving up and returning to his lair to sleep for a few days, seeing the crystals reignited his passion and strength for mining. These crystals gave Brandon endless courage and perseverance, enabling him to keep going day after day. Digging in this dark cave for an entire month was nothing short of a miracle.
Brandon reluctantly put down one Divine Power Crystal and picked up another, carefully examining it. He was so engrossed that he didn’t notice his massive jaws opening slightly, allowing dragon drool to pour from his mouth. He continued this pattern, putting one crystal down and picking up another, over and over, until nearly two hours had passed. Finally, he gripped the Divine Power Crystals firmly in his hand, plunging the cave into darkness. With a determined resolve, he turned and left the cave without looking back.
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However, a few minutes later, he returned with a large leaf. He collected the gelatinous liquid pooled on the ground and placed it on the leaf. Soon, he had accumulated a sizable pile. He wrapped the liquid in the leaf and left the cave. It had been over a month, and he wondered how the other beasts were doing. Though he usually cultivated for days at a time, the longest period before had been ten days. This time, he had been away for an entire month. They must be worried.
Brandon exited the cave and floated upward. Despite his significant energy loss, his cultivation level had not decreased, and he still had enough energy to fly.
Slowly, Brandon floated up until he reached the top of the fissure. He suddenly spread his wings, and with a powerful flap, he flew forward. To his amazement, even though his body had shrunk, his speed had not decreased; in fact, he was faster than before. His wing beats were stronger, and his streamlined form reduced air resistance. He felt compelled to test his new top speed.
With a powerful flap, Brandon surged forward. After a sharp whistling sound, he broke the sound barrier and continued to accelerate. He flew faster and higher, the fierce winds parting around his streamlined body as if he had an invisible shield. The wind didn’t touch him, and his eyes remained clear and unobstructed. Looking down, the once-tall trees now seemed like tiny blades of grass, and the scenery blurred and elongated before disappearing.
After a minute, Brandon stopped, realizing he was already above his lair. He folded his wings and slowly descended.
The lair hadn’t changed much in a month. He saw a young sub-dragon below, practicing flying. Its clumsy movements reminded Brandon of his own early attempts, including his embarrassing crash into a cliff. He couldn’t help but smile warmly.
The young sub-dragon flapped its wings vigorously, trying to take flight. The powerful gusts kicked up dirt and made the grass below sway wildly. Gradually, the sub-dragon lifted off the ground. Excited, it tried to let out a fledgling roar but was suddenly overshadowed. Looking up, it saw Brandon, whom it regarded as a deity. Its wings stopped flapping, and it plummeted to the ground.
Fortunately, it wasn’t flying very high, and its strong body prevented any injury. It flipped over and lay flat on the ground. The presence of Brandon was overwhelming, making it hard for the young dragon to breathe.
Even though Brandon wasn’t intentionally exerting his dragon’s might, the inherent suppression of the sub-dragon’s bloodline made it especially sensitive to his presence.
The young sub-dragon gazed at Brandon with fervent admiration, its heart filled with respect.
Brandon looked at the young sub-dragon. Due to their bloodline, the sub-dragon could never be his equal, but it could become his best subordinate. Unless it could break through its bloodline limitations and evolve into a dragon, no matter how strong it became, it would always feel a slight fear and a desire to submit when encountering a true dragon. This would hold true even if the sub-dragon's strength surpassed that of the dragon.
Brandon nodded at the young sub-dragon and landed on the ground, heading towards the cave.
The other beasts were not around, likely out hunting, leaving only a few humans in the cave. They were practicing swordsmanship with a bone sword made from a leg bone.
Western swords are mainly divided into two types: greatswords and rapiers. Greatswords are heavy and broad, generally too cumbersome for most people to wield, typically used by those with great strength and often focused on slashing without worrying much about the sharpness of the blade. Rapiers, on the other hand, are slender and light, designed primarily for thrusting, with fast attacks aimed at weak points. The men wielded greatswords while Angela practiced with a rapier.
The bones of the creatures here were often harder than steel, making them suitable for swords despite their lack of flexibility.
Since Angela advanced to the earth level, she could spar with the others. When they saw Brandon approaching, they quickly stopped. Brandon had wanted to observe their swordsmanship, but they suddenly halted, leaving him a bit disappointed.
The humans looked at Brandon curiously, cautiously eyeing the dragon who had returned smaller than before. If their instincts hadn’t assured them, they might have thought there were two dragons in the world.
“Humans, has anything happened while I was away?” Brandon asked.
“Honorable dragon, nothing unusual has occurred,” Othello replied respectfully, lowering his greatsword.
After asking, Brandon headed to his lair. He had little in common with the humans, and the disparity in their statuses meant he seldom spoke with them. Even when he did, the conversations were brief. Since signing the demonic contract, the humans had become more obedient, working diligently and eating very little, making them nearly perfect. Brandon hadn’t had to reprimand them in a long time. They had become useful assistants, especially since the beasts had limited intelligence and couldn’t handle complex tasks.