Spring gave way to autumn, and time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, five years had passed.
Those five years flowed by like water, yet the Karugu Highlands remained as they always were.
Regardless of the season, it was a scene of bitter cold. The only difference was the variation in sunlight: the summer sun was a little warmer, that was all.
And in a dark cave near Valentina's Royal Court in the Karugu Highlands, Xia'er finally awoke leisurely from her dragon sleep.
This period of dragon sleep had transformed Xia'er, reborn and renewed. Her body length had explosively grown to eleven meters, and with her wings fully extended, she spanned over twenty meters—truly a colossal creature.
At this moment, Xia'er was still a Young Dragon.
But in terms of size, there was no difference between her and a Juvenile Dragon.
Beyond that, more powerful lungs and heart, stronger muscles, harder scales... the enhancement of all these basic attributes had also caused Xia'er's strength to skyrocket.
More importantly, Xia'er had also gained new spells from her Dragon Inheritance.
Light and Hypnosis.
Nothing special to say, just two basic spells.
If Xia'er didn't have the Evolution Game, relying solely on her Dragon Inheritance, she probably wouldn't obtain some more respectable magic until her Juvenile Dragon stage.
But for a Young Dragon, Light and Hypnosis were already decent spell capabilities.
Xia'er herself had also undergone changes.
[User: Green Dragon XT40392.]
[Level: 9.]
[Innate Abilities: Breath (poison mist), Winged Breath (venom), Adaptive Dragon Scales, Underwater Swimming, Limb Regeneration.]
[Mastered Spells: Mage Hand, Plant Growth, Scorching Ray, Light, Hypnosis.]
[Basic Attributes: Magic Affinity (LV2), Fire Resistance (LV2), Frost Resistance (LV2), Storm Resistance (LV2), Toxic Resistance (LV3), Strength (LV2), Defense (LV2), Vitality (LV3).]
An all-around upgrade.
Toxic Resistance and Vitality had even reached level three.
Besides the changes in attributes, Xia'er's appearance had also altered somewhat.
Xia'er's frame was more burly and robust, her muscle lines distinct, her wing membranes taut and powerful. Her overall posture was as straight and imposing as a mountain peak. Her original jadeite green had faded, replaced by a deep emerald hue.
Her tail had also grown a row of serrated barbs extending all the way to the tip, and the spines on her body had begun to multiply.
Judging by appearance alone, any dragon or person unfamiliar with Xia'er might mistake her for a Juvenile Dragon.
Or even a poorly developed young adult dragon.
"I wonder how long I've slept..."
Xia'er sighed inwardly, then immediately felt a wave of hunger wash over her.
After dragon sleep ends, a dragon needs to hunt.
After all, the primary function of dragon sleep is to convert the accumulated energy within the body into personal strength.
Upon awakening from slumber, a dragon is at its hungriest.
Thinking of this, Xia'er immediately stretched her draconic body and walked out of the cave.
However, just as she emerged, she came face-to-face with a small, thin Blue Dragon curled up at the cave entrance.
This Blue Dragon was probably over six meters long, its scales bright and shiny. Despite sleeping for many years, Xia'er recognized this Blue Dragon's identity at a glance.
Rebecca Underwood.
The youngest Blue Dragon under Valentina's command, and the only female dragon among the original seven dragon eggs.
"Xia'er, you've slept for five years! You're the one who slept the longest among us! You're finally awake."
Seeing Xia'er emerge, Rebecca couldn't help but exclaim, looking Xia'er up and down. "You now... you're so strong. Stronger than any dragon your age. Only Tyrone can match you in physique, but in terms of presence, he's completely outclassed!"
Slept for five years?
Xia'er was directly startled, but she calmed her emotions and asked, "You're guarding here, seemingly waiting for me. Is there something?"
"Princess Valentina ordered me to guard here, so you'd know the news as soon as you woke up."
Rebecca said, "Over these five years, we all entered dragon sleep one after another. After you was Tyrone, then Saga, then Karta, then Otto, and then me... Tyrone slept for three years, Saga for one year, Karta and Otto both slept for a year and a half..."
Hearing this, Xia'er felt somewhat irritable and immediately asked, "What about Disos? Didn't Disos undergo dragon sleep?"
"Who's Disos?"
Rebecca looked confused, but quickly recalled a figure and said disdainfully, "That white-scaled one? I almost forgot about him. He entered dragon sleep a year ago, slept for about five months, then woke up. Being mentioned alongside that white-scaled one is truly a disgrace to our kind."
"Good that he's fine."
Xia'er nodded her ferocious dragon head, then without ceremony began walking out of the cave, preparing to take flight.
Seeing Xia'er like this, Rebecca hurriedly blocked Xia'er's path, saying immediately, "Wait! Princess Valentina isn't at the Royal Court right now. Her Highness wanted me to tell you that we went to war with the Dwarven Kingdom a year ago! Recently, Dwarven Kingdom legions have been frequently active. She wants you to be careful. If you wake up, she hopes you can join the battlefield to ease the pressure on Her Highness!"
"We're at war with the Dwarven Kingdom?"
This news was somewhat unexpected for Xia'er, but dragon sleep was always like this; one missed many updates.
Xia'er's massive, deep emerald dragon head gave a slight nod. Her icy dragon eyes swept over Rebecca, carrying an unquestionable authority. "I understand."
Before the words fully faded, Xia'er's colossal body shot out of the cave like an arrow from a bowstring. Her wings snapped open, their nearly twenty-five-meter span casting a massive shadow in the biting winds of the Karugu Highlands.
Her powerful dragon wings tore through the air, whipping up a howling gale as she dove decisively towards the east, the direction of the Star Mist Archipelago.
"Wait! Xia'er!"
Rebecca's urgent cry was mostly swallowed by the wind.
She dared not neglect the princess's command, and she felt an instinctive fear and unease towards this Green Dragon who had just awakened, her presence even more formidable than before.
However, there was no time to dwell on it now. Rebecca could only flap her smaller, indigo-blue wings with all her might, hurriedly giving chase.
In her Young Dragon stage, Rebecca's body was only a little over six meters long. At full sprint, she could barely keep up with Xia'er's flying speed.
"You... where are you going? Princess Valentina needs you to fight the dwarves!"
Rebecca shouted amidst the roaring wind as she struggled to flap her wings, her voice tense and carrying a barely perceptible tremor.
Xia'er didn't look back, her low voice rumbling like muffled thunder, clearly reaching Rebecca's ears. "I just ended my dragon sleep. I'm starving now, so naturally, I need to hunt and fill my belly."
Having said that, Xia'er's dragon eyes swept sharply over the snow-dusted mountains and coastline below, continuing, "Furthermore, five years passed in a flash. I need to see with my own eyes whether my territory is secure, how Saga, Tyrone, and Disos are faring, and those lowly lizardmen and Bullywugs."
Fill her belly, inspect her territory, confirm her authority.
Finally, deal with the dwarven threat.
Compared to Valentina's barren land, Xia'er cared more about her own archipelago.
Hearing this, Rebecca also found it somewhat reasonable and immediately said, "I'll go with you!"