Chapter 416: Chapter 418 Tiger Among the Flock
…
Lizard Water Monsters were rampant, threatening many villages and towns.
This mission was quite dangerous because they were heading to the Lizard Water Monsters’ nest.
The wetlands and swamps were basically one and the same, restricting the movements of some fierce giant beasts, while dragons with the ability to fly would hover in the air. However, as soon as the Lizard Water Monsters sensed them, they immediately burrowed into the water and mud, leaving them no way to be dealt with.
Zhu Minglang followed the team and arrived at the Yellow Leaves Wetland, where many Yellow Grass Roots grew. This medicinal herb was in demand by various countries for its blood-clotting properties…
As a result, many villages, towns, and small markets nearby depended on these Yellow Grass Roots for their livelihood, with half of their population relying on them for survival.
Just after passing through a forest of fallen leaves, a village road stretched out beside a large expanse of muddy wetlands, leading to Old Pond Town. The rampaging Lizard Water Monsters had made this road bare of travelers.
About halfway along the road, a smell of blood wafted over.
Zhu Minglang’s perception was sharper than the others; he quickened his pace. In the front, hidden by the thick Winter Reed Grass, Zhu Minglang spotted an arm that had been gnawed on.
The arm still had a string of Buddha Beads on the wrist, presumably for safekeeping, but unfortunately, they had not worked.
Zhu Minglang parted the Winter Reed Grass and saw a scene of chaos: blood-stained clothing, remnants of bodies spat out after being half-eaten, and countless faces twisted in terror right before death…
“There… there are dead people!!” Li Shaoying exclaimed in alarm.
Lu Wenye quickly approached Zhu Minglang.
Instead of inspecting the corpses, she grabbed the mud from the ground and then touched the footprints left on the road…
“They are nearby,” Lu Wenye urgently informed everyone.
“These Winter Reed Grasses were brought here by them; they intend to prey on the next group of merchants,” Zhu Minglang said.
These Winter Reed Grasses had not grown naturally on the road; the monsters had deliberately tidied up the crime scene so as not to scare away anyone else passing by.
“Gurgle, gurgle~~~~~~~~~”
From the wetlands resembling ponds on both sides, ugly lizard heads began to emerge.
It was unclear whether the “gurgle” sounds came from their throats or if it was the rumbling of their hungry stomachs. These Lizard Water Monsters had grown so bold as to commit violence on the roads near the towns!
“So many Lizard Water Monsters, we are surrounded!” Li Shaoying said in a panicked tone.
The Black Serpent beside Li Shaoying had already taken a combat stance, its body slightly coiled, ready to pounce on the Lizard Water Monsters.
“Destroy these monstrosities,” Hong Hao roared angrily.
It was a large group of Lizard Water Monsters. They had probably crawled into the fishponds on either side of the town road during the night, eating all the fish farmed by the locals and now starting to prey on people passing by.
The people who had died were likely a group of small merchants traveling together. They had been apprehensive for fear of monsters causing mischief, not expecting to encounter such a large swarm of Lizard Water Monsters, probably without even the chance to fight back.
“Rustle, rustle, rustle~~~~”
For this trip, Zhu Minglang had brought the Little Wild Jiao along.
The Little Wild Jiao clearly felt the threat from these vicious Lizard Water Monsters, and it showed the same wary stance as the Black Serpent, its body slightly coiled.
But the Little Wild Jiao was on the defensive, its current strength not yet enough to charge directly into the midst of the Lizard Water Monster Group.
Zhu Minglang summoned the Little Black Dragon.
Lu Wenye, Li Shaoying, and Nan Ye’s dragons maintained a defensive stance, as after all, these dragons still had to protect the Dragon Shepherds.
But the Little Black Dragon thought differently.
The master still needs my protection??
When the Little Black Dragon saw the Lizard Water Monsters, it became excessively excited and displayed the belligerence inherent to most Ancient Dragons. It charged even faster and further to the front than Hong Hao’s Wind Wolf Dragon.
In terms of size, the Little Black Dragon was similar to these Lizard Water Monsters.
Many Lizard Water Monsters were even three to four meters long, and some that were close to becoming demons were nearly ten meters long, virtually giant jungle crocodiles.
The Little Black Dragon’s body was once again enshrouded in the Ancient Dark Aura. As it plunged into the murky fish ponds, it bit into a three-meter-long Lizard Water Monster clean and snapped off its neck, tossing the head far away like a thrown ball.
The Lizard Water Monsters hiding in the fish pond potholes also widened their lizard-like pupils!
At first glance, one might think they were black lizards from other caves, with poor brains, attacking them. But upon closer inspection, they realized it was a pitch-black Young Dragon ramming and biting anyone it encountered!
No matter whether they were Lizard Water Demons with five to six hundred years of Cultivation Base or even eight to nine hundred years, the Little Black Dragon bit and covered them without missing a beat.
The Wind Wolf Dragon was not very agile in these mud ponds, but the Little Black Dragon, having the bloodline of an Azure Dragon, was unaffected by the murkiness of the ponds and was even faster than these old lizards!
These Lizard Water Monsters had initially planned to ambush the people on the road; they were already starving in this winter season. But then a Black Dragon charged in first, like a tiger entering a flock of sheep!
Zhu Minglang was also astonished upon witnessing the Little Black Dragon acting as if it had been injected with chicken blood.
When Zhu Minglang first brought the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon to deal with these Lizard Water Monsters, he generally tackled them one by one, careful not to provoke a group at once for fear that the Azure Phoenix Azure Dragon would be seriously wounded during its youth, affecting its later development.
The Little Black Dragon was different; it was not afraid of getting hurt at all. Relying on the Ancient Dark Aura surrounding it, it was hard for the Lizard Water Monsters to really inflict damage, let alone minor flesh wounds, which were inconsequential. The Ancient Beast Aura would become more intense, making every swipe of its claws, every rip and bite, and every body slam even more wild and fierce!
Possibly due to attribute suppression and familiarity with water, the Little Black Dragon was completely brutalizing these Lizard Water Monsters, unafraid even when surrounded by more than a dozen of them.
One swipe of its paw on the left smashed down on a lizard head.
A smack on the right sent a 300-year-old Little Lizard Monster flying.
Its fangs chewed on a plump lizard, while its brave body pressed against another!
“Zhu Minglang, didn’t you say you were going to train Young Dragons? How could you summon such a brave dragon?” Chen Bai asked.
“This is actually just a Young Dragon,” said Lu Wenye in a low voice.
“Impossible, no matter how brave a Young Dragon is, at most it can tackle a Lizard Water Monster with three to four hundred years of Cultivation Base,” Chen Bai said.
“Yes, it is the Young Dragon I’m training this time,” Zhu Minglang replied.
“If that’s a Young Dragon, I’ll drink your foot-washing water tonight,” Chen Bai still didn’t believe it.
“That gross?” Zhu Minglang was surprised by such a strange request.
“We’re all classmates, let’s be honest with each other. This Black Dragon of yours, if it were a bit bigger, I would believe it’s a Dragon General,” Chen Bai continued.