"So the Dragon flew away with the Titan in its mouth..."
After returning to the Platinum Tree Palace, Lethe, as always, came to visit Xu Xin's quarters. And she related everything that had happened that day.
After hearing her story, Xu Xin's heart raced.
'A snake-like body with a horned head, four legs, and wings... Could it be the legendary Responding Dragon?'
The Responding Dragon (Yinglong) was a winged dragon considered particularly auspicious among dragons.
'First long-eared immortal beauties, and now dragons exist too. What a truly mysterious world this is.'
Xu Xin became eager to see a real dragon. As a Taoist priest, as a person who lived in the Central Plains, how could he miss an opportunity to meet an actual dragon?
'She said they'll visit the Dragon's palace soon. If I could go along then... But she probably won't allow it. She dislikes me.'
After much deliberation, Xu Xin decided to make the request anyway. Even if rejected, he wouldn't regret it if he at least tried.
Afterward, he played with Lethe as usual. Then, when Eve came to the quarters to fetch Lethe, ready to depart for the Dragon's palace, he cautiously approached and said:
"Lady Eve. I have a request."
Eve looked at Xu Xin with a slightly surprised face. It was the first time Xu Xin had approached her first to ask for something.
"W-what is it?"
Eve asked with a strangely tense expression.
"I heard you're going to meet a being called a Dragon. I wonder if I might accompany you?"
"Why? Feeling confined in your quarters? A-actually, I forgot to mention, from now on, you don't have to stay here, you can freely move around my palace..."
"No. I don't feel confined at all in my quarters. I'm making this request solely because I want to see a Dragon with my own eyes."
Xu Xin looked at Eve with earnestness. At that intense gaze, Eve flinched and unconsciously nodded.
"F-fine, then."
"Thank you."
※※※
Lethe lifted Xu Xin with magical wind. Seeing this, Eve subtly withdrew the magical wind she had sent to Xu Xin and lifted only herself.
They flew toward the direction of the Dragon's palace.
While flying, Lethe stayed close to Xu Xin and told him about Dragons. She was passing on the knowledge she had learned from Eve to Xu Xin, who seemed very interested in Dragons.
"They say Dragons are arrogant and violent. While extremely cunning and calculating, they sometimes act impulsively without consideration, driven by emotions."
How long, and how far did they fly?
Gradually, the forest trees began to shrink. The hundreds-meter-tall giant trees became rare, and shorter trees dominated the forest.
Xu Xin looked beyond the forest of shorter trees. There was a field with tall grasses growing.
Finally, the forest had ended, and a new terrain had appeared.
Xu Xin looked down at the field with fresh eyes.
'It's been so long since I've seen a landscape without trees.'
He suddenly wondered if humans also lived in this world.
After leaving the forest, crossing vast plains, and passing over mountains and rivers, Xu Xin carefully observed the ground.
But no matter how much he looked, he couldn't find any life forms that could be called human.
"We've finally arrived. It's right there."
Eve pointed to a majestic palace built like a mountain in the distance.
Xu Xin concentrated his spiritual power in his eyes and looked at the majestic palace. And his eyes rounded.
As he, having reached the realm of martial arts mastery, swept the vicinity of the palace with his hawk-like vision, he unexpectedly discovered several life forms that could be called human. But their appearances were all grotesque and hideous.