Nightfall - The area is brightly lit. An elderly man is poring over documents at his desk when a guard rushes over and whispers.
"Report, Chief! An urgent call from the Nanjing Military Region!"
"Yes, Xiao Li, put it through," the elderly man responds gently.
"Yes, sir!" The guard salutes respectfully.
Soon after, the guard's expression changes dramatically. "What? You say you spotted a dragon in the air, heading northwest? Are you sure you didn't make a mistake?" The elderly man raises his voice in alarm.
"This is absolutely true. Awaiting your instructions, Chief!"
The elderly man massages his temples and looks up at the ceiling. China had received detailed intelligence from the United States about the formidable power of dragons. Even with its mighty military, the US had been unable to deal with them. The thought gives him a headache.
"Do not attack first. Track the dragon carefully but do not let it detect you. Find out where it's headed."
"Yes, sir! Mission will be completed," comes the firm reply from the other end.
The chief hangs up the phone and sits back in his chair. He can no longer focus on the documents, feeling a growing sense of unease. A dragon's visit to China is unlikely to be a leisurely tour. There must be another motive. What could possibly attract a dragon here?
A dragon is like a massive weapon with immense speed, strength, and destructive power, akin to a reusable weapon of mass destruction.
"Please, let nothing happen in China," the elderly man silently prays. China needs peace and stability for development. Any conflict with the dragon, with its formidable magic, could be as devastating as an intercontinental missile. It would cause widespread panic and economic regression, something China cannot afford. Especially not on its own soil.
He hopes the dragon is peaceful, though he doubts it. Dragons, whether in mythology or reality, are known for their destructive nature. The devastation in two American cities stands as evidence, though partly due to American arrogance and preemptive attacks. But can a dragon distinguish between America and China? To the dragon, humans are all the same – enemies.
Meanwhile, Brandon is unaware that his presence has been detected. Even if he knew, he wouldn’t care. With a powerful flap of his wings, he accelerates. The scenery changes rapidly, and the air bursts with sound. Soon, Brandon arrives in Shaolin Temple.
Its name, "Shaolin Temple," comes from its location in the dense forests at the base of Mount Shaoshi in the Songshan mountain range. It gained fame during the Tang Dynasty, known for both Zen and martial arts.
Brandon reaches the Shaolin Temple, situated halfway up Mount Song. It is already 10 PM, and the monks should be asleep. Brandon does not intrude directly. He is not here to cause harm but to see the old monk one last time. His massive body gently lands at the mountain's peak.
Lying on the ground with a complex expression, he closes his eyes to rest. This final meeting will sever his ties with humanity. He owes the old monk a debt of gratitude that he cannot repay in this life. The vast chasm between humans and dragons makes recognition impossible. Brandon’s experiences are inexplicable, appearing bizarre and absurd.
Early Morning - The sky is still dark when Brandon opens his eyes, awakened by distant helicopters. Though they appear as tiny dots far away, inaudible to ordinary ears, the dragon's hearing perceives every sound keenly. The helicopter noise is unmistakable to Brandon, familiar from countless encounters.
A trace of contempt flickers in Brandon's eyes, and he ignores them, closing his giant eyes again. They are merely monitoring, with no intent to attack.
Several Hours Later
As dawn breaks, a brilliant red sun rises on the horizon. The sky is painted with vibrant hues, and the morning sun shines beautifully, surrounded by white mist, creating an almost ethereal scene. Brandon opens his eyes and stands up, exuding a powerful aura. He takes a deep breath, causing his belly to swell as he inhales a large volume of air. He lets out a thunderous roar, sending waves of air that make the surrounding mist churn violently. The penetrating sound of his roar echoes throughout Mount Song.
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"This should bring all the monks out," Brandon thinks. He suppresses his racing heart, begins to levitate, spreads his massive wings, and flies towards the Shaolin Temple.
As he nears the temple, Brandon notices many monks gathering in the courtyard, their faces puzzled and slightly fearful after being startled by the immense roar. They look around, hoping to see the source of the sound. Suddenly, they notice a shadow overhead and look up.
A massive beast, about 30 meters long, descends from the sky. Its wingspan is over 100 meters, covering a large portion of the sky. This creature has the legendary dragon's head but otherwise does not resemble a dragon. It breathes out thick smoke, its body robust and majestic. Its sharp claws gleam with a metallic luster, inspiring awe and fear.
The dragon lands with immense force, creating a deafening crash as it hits the ground. The impact shatters the stone tiles, and visible cracks appear on the ground. The dragon's landing site forms a large crater.
The overwhelming presence of the dragon forces the monks to step back, their faces showing fear. The monks, devoid of any energy fluctuations, are unable to withstand the dragon's tangible aura.
Brandon scans the crowd with his enormous eyes but does not see the old monk. He looks again but still cannot find him. He roars again, his aura growing stronger, causing the monks in front to retreat hurriedly, their faces pale and beads of sweat dripping from their foreheads.
Brandon lifts his massive claw and heads towards the inner hall. He won't give up until he has searched the entire Shaolin Temple. At this moment, he senses two powerful auras approaching from afar. Brandon is not surprised. Having encountered the Church's elite, he knows that there are also hidden masters among humans. In his previous life, his narrow perspective prevented him from encountering such things.
Brandon looks back and sees two small black dots rapidly approaching. His pupils contract as he realizes they are two lesser heaven level monks.
Seconds later, two middle-aged monks descend from the sky. They wield purple-gold monk staffs and land in front of Brandon. One has a tiger-like head and large ears, while the other has a fair complexion. When a being reaches the earth level in cultivation, their lifespan significantly increases, making it impossible to judge their true age by appearance alone. A master who has lived for centuries might still look like a young man.
The two middle-aged monks do not attack immediately. They stand solemnly, exuding a majestic aura. Brandon even feels a slight sense of danger from one of them, although it is only slight. The fair-skinned monk has reached the peak of the lesser heaven level.
Brandon feels a hint of excitement. It has been a long time since he faced a worthy opponent. However, he waits, sensing that a group of people is rapidly approaching from a distance.
Ten minutes later, twenty to thirty monks arrive swiftly. This place does not seem to be their main base but rather an external gate. It appears the true Shaolin Temple is hidden away.
This group of monks, each possessing earth-level strength, stood behind the two middle-aged monks.
Brandon snorted, releasing a large amount of smoke from his nostrils. The monks instinctively took a step back, unsure whether to attack the unknown creature emanating such a powerful aura and bearing a massive dragon's head, which filled them with dread.
Years of isolation and closed-door training had left them unaware of the emergence of a dragon in the world.
The dragon opened its huge mouth and suddenly spoke in a human voice.
"Humans, I am the great dragon Alka!"
The crowd involuntarily gaped in astonishment, unable to believe that the beast could speak. Their initial surprise quickly turned into heightened fear. Even the two middle-aged monks showed a trace of fear before their expressions turned resolute, a holy aura rising from them.
A beast, no matter how powerful, remains a beast without intelligence. For humans, such an enemy is not so frightening. But a speaking creature signifies it is not a mere beast, but a legendary demon. The unknown nature of such a being instills even greater fear.
"It's a demon! A monster!" murmurs spread through the crowd, and a wave of panic rippled across the courtyard.
"Oh, humans! Do not be alarmed, I have not come to be your enemy," Brandon said, pointing his claw forward. The sharp claws gleamed coldly in the sunlight.
At this moment, the fair-faced middle-aged monk in gray robes stepped forward, his face radiating righteousness and compassion. He shouted loudly,
"Demon! Cease your deceit! Despite our seclusion, we did not expect such a powerful demon to appear in the world. If you can convert to Buddhism, eat vegetarian food, and worship Buddha henceforth, we might consider sparing your life. Otherwise, we will eradicate you today to prevent further harm, even if it costs us our lives."
Brandon's intended words were stifled in his throat, causing him discomfort. This monk had clearly been secluded too long, unaware of the world's current state.
The fear in the monks' eyes vanished, replaced by determination. The phrase "exterminate demons" seemed to possess infinite power, giving them a strong sense of mission.
Over twenty monks, wielding iron rods, surrounded Brandon. They appeared to form some kind of formation, causing the energy of heaven and earth to become chaotic.
The two lesser heaven-level monks in front let out a long howl, their aura suddenly intensifying. Brandon shook his head. It seemed that wherever he went, strength was the deciding factor; humans were not pacifists.
Brandon quickly cast a large-scale gravity spell on himself. The current spell had a diameter of 300 meters and increased gravity tenfold.
The monks near Brandon suddenly felt a heavy weight. They couldn't stand up straight, and their iron rods seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. Seven or eight monks, caught off guard, fell to the ground, creating large dents in the stone tiles.
The battle was about to begin!