The President frowned deeply as he opened a drawer containing a box of cigars. He hadn't opened this box before, but he tore off the seal and took one out for himself. He had quit smoking a long time ago and only indulged occasionally when feeling particularly troubled.
He took a deep drag, and the sharp, pungent smoke filled his lungs, causing him to cough violently. The strong sensation cleared his mind.
Looking up, he surveyed the generals around him. "We have to admit that the dragon has grown strong enough to threaten all of humanity. Its power continues to increase, and our weapons are becoming less effective against it. Its existence is slowly slipping beyond our control. What are your thoughts?"
A heavy silence ensued. As each minute ticked by, the atmosphere grew more tense. The generals all frowned, thinking hard, but none dared to speak first.
Finally, a middle-aged man with a general's rank couldn't bear the oppressive silence and coughed. Instantly, all eyes turned to him.
"Ahem! The dragon harbors a deep hatred for humans. This danger must be eliminated swiftly. Maybe we could lure it to a deserted area and detonate a nuclear bomb. I refuse to believe it can withstand a nuke."
The room erupted in chatter. As soon as the middle-aged general finished, another officer, a lieutenant general, spoke loudly.
"That's nonsense! Lure it? How? Do you think the dragon lacks intelligence? And can you guarantee its destruction? If we fail, the dragon will rampage across America. Its immense hatred will drive it to relentlessly attack us. Do you want to see a massive meteor strike the White House?" He glared at the first general.
"So what do you suggest? Letting the dragon continue flying around the United States? We're raising a threat that will grow beyond the reach of all human weapons one day," the first general retorted angrily.
"Everyone, the key is to understand why the dragon is in America. This time, it doesn't seem to be here for revenge—it hasn't attacked us proactively," a lieutenant general interjected.
The room buzzed with murmurs.
"Could it be the giant snake? Oh, dear God! Let it take that damn snake away, the farther the better," an older general exclaimed.
"Perhaps we can offer some assistance. The dragon's presence in America keeps me on edge."
"We might need to recall the troops hunting the giant snake. If the snake dies, the dragon will go berserk. Apart from nuclear weapons, there's no way to deal with it. If push comes to shove, we might have to use nukes."
Listening to the generals' heated discussions, the President's headache worsened. He rubbed his furrowed brow.
"Alright, let's end the meeting here. Submit your suggestions in writing. I'll review them carefully."
The generals left one by one, leaving the President alone at the conference table. He stared blankly at the huge world map on the wall, with the United States at its center. When had mighty America ever compromised? Since the 20th century, America had grown stronger, becoming the world's sole superpower by the 1990s. As the most powerful human nation, it represented the pinnacle of human strength. Yet now, they faced the humiliating need to compromise with a non-human entity. It was a sad state of affairs, not just for America but for all humanity.
As Earth's only intelligent species, humans had long been the planet's rulers, controlling the fate of all other creatures. With technological progress, humans expanded their domain and increased their population, while vegetation decreased and many species went extinct. Industrialization caused severe environmental degradation, leading to the mass death of species unable to adapt to rapid changes. As intelligent beings, humans had come to see themselves as Earth's masters, the arbiters of destiny.
……
The giant Jiao had been lurking around the underground river for some time, depleting the local fish and shrimp populations. These fish and shrimp would swim upstream from a small lake, but their numbers were far fewer than those in the lake. With food becoming scarce, the Jiao was once again hungry. It lay in wait at the junction of the underground river and the small lake, where food was most plentiful. Occasionally, small fish and shrimp would swim right into its gaping maw.
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Every day, it stayed there, waiting for food to come to it. However, this meager sustenance was far from enough to satisfy its massive body. Still, it was better than nothing, providing some relief from its hunger. Due to its constant position at the riverbed, the Jiao's body was covered in algae, a perfect camouflage for the low-intelligence fish.
Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed from afar, startling the giant Jiao. Its massive body twisted slightly, causing a small fish that was about to swim into its mouth to escape.
The Jiao shifted its body and swam towards the junction of the underground river and the small lake. It looked towards the sky with its huge eyes but saw nothing. It realized that it had been a long time since any patrolling iron birds (planes) had flown overhead. After waiting a while and seeing no iron birds, it grew bolder and slowly swam towards the small lake. Its massive body moved gently, and its head gradually surfaced. Spotting a large military presence in the distance, it quickly lowered its head and slowly sank back, burying itself in the mud, its heart pounding.
The human army was stationed less than five kilometers from the small lake, with all kinds of weapons strewn about. The Jiao dared not act recklessly and tried to calm its racing heart.
However, at such a distance, as long as it stayed quiet, it would be safe. The Jiao quietly returned to the underground river, feeling relieved. It lay at the riverbed, constantly alert to movements on the shore, its keen ears able to hear up to ten kilometers away.
As Brandon continued his cultivation, his mind grew increasingly still, gradually entering a deep meditative state. His breathing slowed, and a profound peace settled over him. Spiritual energy from all directions surged towards Brandon, rapidly absorbed by him. The faster he absorbed, the more energy vacuum formed around him. The pressure difference drew distant energy towards him, but it was not enough. Brandon's absorption rate created a massive energy vacuum, pulling energy from a hundred-mile radius towards him. The sky was filled with swirling clouds as a massive energy vortex formed.
The thick, milky white fog on the mountaintop was shredded by the energy vortex, clearing the perpetually foggy peak for the first time. The enormous energy vortex above Brandon's head spun violently, emitting powerful energy waves. Although the vortex made no sound and was invisible to the naked eye, trees and rocks were suddenly lifted into the air and instantly pulverized by the immense energy. The vortex seemed fixed above the cave where Brandon was cultivating, spinning intensely.
This strange phenomenon lasted for three days, gradually shrinking and eventually disappearing. When Brandon opened his eyes, a sharp light flashed through them. He was unaware of the commotion during his cultivation, only that he had entered a unique state of tranquility, feeling as comfortable as if he were back in the womb.
He used his spiritual power to examine himself and found that all his internal injuries had healed completely. His internal Qi was abundant and had significantly increased. The Golden Bell in his dantian was spinning at a constant speed, its mysterious patterns flickering like lightning and occasionally vanishing. The Golden Bell emitted a dazzling light, seemingly having grown taller.
The dragon essence within Brandon felt almost tangible, as if it had undergone some transformation. Suddenly, he noticed a crystalline structure forming between his chest and abdomen. It resembled the most beautiful diamond, with a multifaceted structure radiating a purple-gold light. Under his spiritual observation, he saw a layer of mist swirling inside the crystal. In the center of the mist, a blood-red flame flickered, as if it could extinguish at any moment.
"Is this my dragon crystal?" Brandon wondered. His dragon crystal was unlike ordinary ones, which were simply transparent crystals similar to precious gemstones and varied in color according to different attributes. His crystal, however, contained mist and a blood-red flame.
The flame inside the crystal reminded him of the fire he breathed as a sub-dragon. Could there be a connection? As for the mist, it seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.
Before long, Brandon felt a surge of joy. He had finally formed a dragon crystal, a significant milestone marking his recognition as an adult dragon by dragonkind.
Shaking off the dust, he had no idea how long he had been cultivating or what was happening outside. As he stood up, he realized that the cave seemed much smaller than before.
Perplexed, he looked at himself and found that he had returned to his original size. To his surprise, the advancement of his dragon essence had caused his body to grow again, and his strength had more than doubled. He felt his domain, a rudimentary field of control, becoming clearer and more defined, enhancing his mastery within it.
Aside from his increased size, there were no other significant changes. Brandon exhaled a large plume of smoke, satisfied with the abundant energy and immense power he now possessed.
Gently pushing the boulder aside, he stepped out of the cave. The area around the cave was in disarray, with trees knocked over as if trampled by dozens of giant elephants. Brandon was puzzled. Had something come by while he was cultivating?