More than half a month later, on White Pearl Island.
Over two hundred kobolds were now hauling stone materials on White Pearl Island, building a castle for Xia'er.
Kobolds were born to be excellent miners, and under Valentina's command, they were often ordered by her to construct palaces on high mountains, so this group of kobolds was also a qualified 'construction team.'
The kobolds' performance on the island was rather mediocre, only capable of handling land defense. At this stage, White Pearl Island could be described as a godforsaken place, and Xia'er couldn't possibly feed them for nothing, so she had them follow the same method on White Pearl Island to build a castle.
However, compared to when they were commanded by Valentina on the highlands, Xia'er clearly offered better treatment.
The kobolds could now eat their fill.
After conquering many Bullywug tribes, Xia'er was basically no longer short of the most basic food. Fish schools were abundant in the deep sea, and Bullywugs were an extremely skilled fishing race. The fish they caught were enough to feed the kobold clan to their heart's content.
The Sea of Frost stretched as far as the eye could see.
Around White Pearl Island, Xia'er flapped her wings, flying back from north of White Pearl Island with a sea turtle nearly four to five meters long clamped in her jaws.
Xia'er's massive body crashed down onto the rugged rocky beach of White Pearl Island, stirring up a cloud of sand and dust.
The huge sea turtle struggled, paddling its limbs, trying to break free from Xia'er, but its efforts were in vain.
Then, Xia'er's jaws suddenly exerted force. Her sharp, pale-white dragon teeth tore through the sea turtle's hard carapace and plastron as easily as cutting through tofu, producing a crisp cracking sound.
The turtle shell shattered, revealing the tender turtle meat.
Xia'er's throat moved. She barely chewed, her massive tongue curling and swallowing the entire chunk of turtle meat whole.
A warm feeling of fullness rose within her.
"This kind of canned meat is the most delicious."
Xia'er sighed, then focused her mind. The virtual panel of the Evolution Game appeared before her.
[Domination Mission: 842/1000.]
The Bullywugs were still short by 150 in number.
This progress had been stuck for over two days, clearly indicating that Saga's war to conquer the Bullywugs wasn't going very smoothly.
"Perhaps I should personally go to the front lines to oversee the battle."
Xia'er thought to herself. According to the battle reports from the past half month, Saga had already captured four islands and conquered over three hundred Bullywugs.
Currently, he was attacking 'Starlight Dew Island,' the island with the largest and most powerful Bullywug population in the entire archipelago. It was also the island where the Red Dragon Hephaestus had once ordered the Bullywugs to live.
It could be considered the 'ancestral land' of the Bullywugs in the Star Mist Archipelago.
For the past few days, Xia'er had felt a strange, tingling itch deep in her throat, as if a turbid energy was brewing and churning.
This sensation was not unfamiliar to her; it was a sign that her signature Green Dragon basic breath weapon, the poison mist, was about to take form.
Saga was encountering stubborn resistance on Starlight Dew Island, and progress had stalled. This was the perfect opportunity to test this imminent new power on those defiant Bullywugs.
Awakening a breath weapon at the Young Dragon stage was terrifying to hear.
But it wasn't without precedent, though it wasn't as powerful as a standard breath weapon. Like the Red Dragon Tyrone, who had been capable of flame breath more than half a month ago.
The Red Dragon's base stats were just too strong.
Xia'er sighed inwardly.
As Xia'er was contemplating the matter of personally leading the expedition to Starlight Dew Island, a somewhat bedraggled white figure appeared on the distant horizon.
The figure rapidly approached. It was none other than Disos, the White Dragon who had been 'exiled' along with her.
Disos the White Dragon flapped his relatively slender white wings, landing somewhat clumsily on the rocks in front of Xia'er, splashing up fine water droplets.
The moment Disos landed, he immediately humbly lowered his head covered in frost-white scales, his posture extremely submissive, far lower than the respect Saga had ever shown. "Great Jade Wing! Please forgive my disturbance! Saga sent me back to request reinforcements!"
Xia'er was taken aback. "When did you learn to speak so well?"
"That's what the toad said," Disos replied blankly, opening his mouth.
Xia'er didn't dwell too much on this issue.
White Dragons were naturally low in intelligence. Disos was already considered smart among White Dragons.
Only after growing to the young adult dragon stage would White Dragons gradually approach normal intelligence. Disos was still a wyrmling now; expectations couldn't be set that high.
Xia'er asked, "What's happening over at Starlight Dew Island?"
"Those stubborn Bullywugs are putting up fierce resistance! They are entrenched in the deepwater swamps and complex caves on the island, using the terrain to mount layered defenses. Although Lord Saga is brave, there are simply too many of them. Moreover, they seem to have received some mysterious enhancement, their strength far surpassing that of Frogmen from other islands."
Hearing Xia'er's question, Disos finally reacted and continued his report. "Your servants have suffered considerable losses, and the offensive has been firmly stalled. Furthermore, when Lord Saga digs pits, these lowly Frogmen ambush him. Lord Saga doesn't know what to do, so he sent me back to ask for your advice."
After finishing, Disos cautiously raised his head to steal a glance at Xia'er, then quickly lowered it again. His slender dragon tail tapped nervously on the wet, slippery rocks.
"What is Saga's suggestion?"
Disos said, "Lord Saga said he wants to withdraw the troops to rest and regroup for a while, besiege this island, and surround it for a few years. These Bullywugs don't have the habit of storing food, so they'll have no choice but to come out and surrender obediently."
Hearing Disos say this, Xia'er was somewhat surprised.
Saga's mind is quite sharp.
Surrounding without attacking is not typical dragon behavior.
Xia'er had no doubt that if the Red Dragon Tyrone had received the order to attack Starlight Dew Island, Tyrone would definitely fight to the death, persisting relentlessly.
If another intelligent race made such a judgment, Xia'er wouldn't find it strange. But this was Saga, a judgment made by a Chromatic Dragon, which was enough to surprise Xia'er.
At this moment, Xia'er had the same thought as Valentina.
If only Saga were a Blue Dragon.
The racial ceiling of a Black Dragon was slightly lower compared to Red Dragons, Blue Dragons, and Green Dragons.
Green Dragons were fine; actually, a normal Green Dragon is only a bit stronger than a Black Dragon.
But the racial ceilings of Red Dragons and Blue Dragons were indeed somewhat higher than that of Black Dragons.
But it didn't matter.
Saga knew when to advance and when to retreat, understood what to take and what to give up.
Such a Black Dragon was, in Xia'er's view, more trustworthy than any Red or Blue Dragon.
If she really got a Blue Dragon like Karta from Valentina's dragon lair, Xia'er would actually find it somewhat unsuitable.
After all, in Xia'er's eyes, Karta was a purebred 'dragon pig.'
Not just Karta, but also the other two Blue Dragons under Valentina's protection, Otto and Rebecca. Xia'er similarly held no hope for their futures.
Valentina was a good Blue Dragon mother, but not suited to be a leader.
Under her nurturing, dragons would only become mediocre.
Natural selection, survival of the fittest!
With this thought, Xia'er no longer hesitated and immediately said, "Disos, it's almost time for you to enter dormancy too. Stay on 'White Pearl Island' during this time to prepare for dormancy. The kobolds will guard you to ensure your dormancy isn't disturbed."
"I'll make a trip to 'Starlight Dew Island' to see just what level these defiant Bullywugs are at!"