Dragons are a race that places the utmost importance on seniority.
For dragons, there's no need to strive hard; simply living to a certain age grants them formidable power.
For the vast majority of dragons, the older they are, the stronger they become.
Wyrmling, very young dragon, young dragon, young adult dragon, juvenile dragon, adult dragon, mature adult dragon, old dragon, very old dragon, ancient dragon, wyrm, great wyrm.
Therefore, after seeing Valentina, who was in the young adult dragon stage, Xia'er immediately adopted an attitude of 'bowing to seniority'. After all, for Xia'er, he was just a 'trend-follower', while Valentina was the genuine 'old-timer'.
Having said that, Xia'er didn't hesitate in the slightest, stepping forward to tear large mouthfuls from the wild boar's hind leg.
Although it was raw and bloody, for Xia'er's current organs, it was exceptionally delicious.
Perhaps it would be even more delicious cooked, but Xia'er couldn't very well ask the old-timer to barbecue for him right now. He'd just have to make do.
"Chomp, chomp, chomp..."
Large, tearing bites!
While eating the meat, he observed his surroundings. After looking around, Xia'er couldn't help but sigh.
Blue Dragons are the Chromatic Dragons most fond of picking up children from outside to increase the strength of their dragonflight.
Typically, a juvenile dragon would be assigned to care for wyrmlings and very young dragons to prevent the nest from being attacked.
Young adult dragons are mostly assigned tasks like hunting, guarding, and so on.
But clearly, the one responsible for watching over and caring for the dragon eggs was actually a young adult dragon.
From this, it was evident that this Blue Dragon flight's strength was worrisome.
If a giant just happened to come by, this Blue Dragon flight would probably suffer heavy losses.
But still, at least there was a dragonflight.
It was safer than the starting scenario of a dragon mother with three hatchlings.
During a period of weakness, one must be cautious and careful. Collecting gold coins and such wasn't something a dragon of his level should be doing. The most important thing now was to eat a few more mouthfuls of meat.
If absolutely necessary, he could even eat a few mouthfuls of dirt.
Only by growing up would there be a future!
Hunting and domination quests also required him to at least reach the very young dragon stage before he could attempt them.
For now, the only thing he could really do was 'eat, eat, eat'.
As for Xia'er's praise, Valentina seemed quite pleased.
As the saying goes, a wise dragon knows when to submit.
With a sweep of her wing, Valentina sliced off nearly half of the wild boar, which was a good three to four meters in size. Flapping her wings excitedly, she said, "Eat, eat."
A cold wind blew, howling as it came.
Valentina abruptly spread her wings. Her bony, membranous wings stretched out like giant shields before Xia'er, blocking the biting cold wind completely.
Her deep blue scales shimmered with a cold light in the wind, static electricity sparking like starlight through the gaps between her armor-like scales.
Xia'er glanced up at this deep blue barrier crackling with arcs of electricity, and the tension in his shoulders and spine finally relaxed.
She was a good dragon.
Who said Chromatic Dragons were inherently cold and indifferent?
Xia'er was extremely satisfied.
Soon, the half wild boar was pretty much entirely devoured by Xia'er.
Although he was just a newly hatched wyrmling, Xia'er's current body length had already reached two meters. He looked the part, about the size of a foal.
After a wyrmling's first sleep, they can hunt within three days.
Of course, they only hunt small creatures, like ordinary hares, foxes, and such. Slightly larger magical creatures would still be difficult to handle.
Xia'er swallowed the last mouthful of wild boar meat with satisfaction, feeling a warmth spreading through his entire body, a sensation of evolution and growth.
"This wild boar meat packs a punch!"
Xia'er abruptly stood up. His emerald-green scales reflected faint glimmers of light under the thin highland sun. His two-meter-long body had sleek lines, muscles slightly bulging beneath the scales, displaying a physique far more robust than that of an ordinary wyrmling.
That instinct for flight, born from his bloodline, could no longer be suppressed. Xia'er suddenly spread his still somewhat immature but already sizable membranous wings, flapping them with all his might.
"Whoosh—whoosh—"
The sound of his wings beating the air was somewhat clumsy, with a staggering quality.
Xia'er's body tilted as it left the ground, briefly hovering before suddenly sinking downward. His claws scraped against the highland rocks, producing faint sounds.
Although the flight wasn't ideal, Xia'er didn't give up. He flapped his wings forcefully again. This time, he stabilized his posture, wobbling as he rose to a height of a few feet above the ground.
"Woo-hoo~"
An excited cry escaped Xia'er's throat involuntarily.
Although he wasn't flying high or far, and his posture was far from elegant, this initial success at autonomous flight still filled the wyrmling-stage Xia'er's heart with immense excitement and a sense of accomplishment.
He was no longer that little thing that could only curl up right after hatching!
The Blue Dragon Valentina stood to the side, quietly watching this newly hatched Green Dragon.
Her gaze swept over Xia'er.
The scales covering his entire body, trembling slightly in the wind, were a vibrant emerald green, far brighter, more dazzling, and more beautiful than the luster of those Green Dragons she had seen back in the Underwood Dynasty.
Many Green Dragons' scales show a grayish-green hue, and some even have scales that trend toward black.
Scales like Xia'er's, resembling jadeite, were truly rare.
Xia'er's flapping wings were full of power; each wingbeat carried the impulsive energy of a newborn calf.
Although his size seemed so minuscule before Valentina's massive twelve-to-thirteen-meter-long frame, that vigorous vitality and physique far exceeding an ordinary wyrmling caused the sliver of disappointment in Valentina's heart, born from Xia'er being a Green Dragon, to quietly fade.
"Hmm."
A low grumble came from Valentina's throat. "This Green Dragon wyrmling... is unexpectedly robust and excellent. Perhaps he really can become a powerful aid to the future Dragon Empress?"
This thought flashed through Valentina's mind.
Subduing a strong wyrmling was, after all, a good start.
Watching Xia'er execute another clumsy but successful short-distance glide, she decided to temporarily set aside her slight 'prejudice' against Green Dragons.
After all, strength and potential were always worthy of respect.
Just as Xia'er succeeded in gliding, nearby, a grayish dragon egg suddenly cracked with a 'crack'.
Immediately after, a wyrmling with crimson scales struggled out of the shell.
But the moment it emerged, this wyrmling seemed dazed, clearly receiving its bloodline inheritance.
After a moment of daze, it suddenly raised its head. Its youthful yet clear voice echoed across the highland: "Tyrone Killian Fitzwilliam!"
Hearing this, Valentina turned her head, her blue eyes flashing with delight.
A Red Dragon!
The leader of the Chromatic Dragons, the most aggressive dragon!
The moment Tyrone raised his head to declare his true name, Valentina followed the same procedure. Excitedly spreading her wings, she looked down majestically at this newly hatched Red Dragon wyrmling and declared loudly, "Wyrmling, I am Princess Valentina from Underwood! You are now a member of my Underwood dragonflight. This princess rewards you with blood meat!"
With that, Valentina tore off a piece of wild boar meat and tossed it in front of Tyrone.
However, a flicker of disdain passed through Tyrone's crimson vertical pupils. Not only did he not lower his head, he even puffed out his chest. His juvenile roar carried an innate arrogance: "Hmph! A weak Blue Dragon dares to be the head dragon of a Red Dragon? I was born the leader of the Chromatic Dragons, a one-in-ten-thousand genius! From the day of my birth, I was destined to be invincible under heaven! Except for Red Dragons, all other species are trash!"
Valentina was choked by this sudden contempt. Clearly, she had no experience teaching wyrmlings. Xia'er had been so compliant earlier that she simply didn't know how to deal with this Red Dragon.
Kill him?
This thought had just risen in Valentina's heart. Before she could act, however, she saw Xia'er, who had been flying in the sky nearby, already moving.
Xia'er keenly realized this was a golden opportunity.
Although this Blue Dragon was only a young adult dragon, for Xia'er in the wyrmling stage, she was an unbeatable opponent, but also his greatest backer.
He very much liked a saying from Mr. Lu Xun.
Put on socks before shoes, be a grandson before becoming a grandpa!
Circling at low altitude and witnessing Tyrone's arrogant provocation, Xia'er suddenly swooped down to land. His wings stirred up a gust of wind as he precisely clamped onto Tyrone's neck with his jaws, then flapped his wings, rising to a height of four or five meters.
Before Tyrone could struggle, Xia'er abruptly opened his jaws.
"Thud!"
Tyrone fell heavily, crashing onto the jagged rocks and knocking himself dizzy.
Seeing this, Xia'er seized the moment and pounced. His sharp dragon claws stomped hard on the Red Dragon's head, pinning him down so he couldn't move. He growled lowly, "You ignorant fool who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth! How dare you act recklessly before Her Highness Princess Valentina!"
Valentina's blue eyes lit up, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly as she silently praised him.
"Xia'er, well done!"
Valentina was extremely satisfied and immediately declared, "Today, I appoint you as Prime Minister, the Hand of the Princess! This Red Dragon, and the other wyrmlings about to hatch, are all under your management!"
Xia'er: ???