The noble Golden Dragon floated, and Xu Mu’s body also drifted upwards.
Qiongqi raised its head again, the Samadhi True Fire in its eyes nearly overflowing.
The dragon's hatching process was somewhat different from what he had initially envisioned, as the last thing it did was almost tantamount to killing Xu Mu.
Therefore, he was now unsure whether the dragon they had painstakingly fed with blood to hatch was friend or foe.
The Golden Dragon and Qiongqi met each other’s gaze for a moment, no fear in its eyes, only nobility and calm.
"I have tasted your blood, your enmity, whence does it arise?"
The Golden Dragon spoke first, in Draconic.
But as the complex syllables spread through the heavens and earth, they automatically transformed into words Qiongqi could understand.
Qiongqi hadn't expected this dragon to speak to him.
And its voice was too mature, hardly like a newborn cub…
"Because if you don't descend from the heavens, the person on your back will die."
Qiongqi responded, noticing the wound on Xu Mu’s wrist, which had inexplicably scabbed over, seemingly due to the golden light.
The Golden Dragon heard this, its head turning slightly, and only then did it realize there was someone on its back.
The aura of this person was very familiar, making it feel a sense of closeness.
"So it was your blood."
A ripple finally appeared in the Golden Dragon's calm expression.
Then, Xu Mu's body was supported by an ethereal mist and slowly descended to the ground.
Qiongqi narrowed its eyes; this dragon seemed to have no ill intent.
He then stepped forward to examine Xu Mu's condition, finding it extremely critical.
"He fed you most of his blood for you to hatch successfully."
"If you don't find a way, he will die."
Qiongqi sighed with some helplessness.
Xu Mu's state was arguably at its worst, with almost no blood left in his body, only a small amount in vital organs like the heart and brain, barely sustaining life.
This condition clearly couldn't last; Xu Mu might die at any moment.
The Golden Dragon hesitated for a moment upon hearing this.
Then, it placed Xu Mu's body inside the dragon egg that had just shattered.
The Golden Dragon opened its mouth, and countless streams of dragon essence, like wind and rain, poured out.
Gushing…
They sprinkled onto the eggshell and Xu Mu's dry skin, and the eggshell was rapidly absorbed by Xu Mu's body.
Immediately, Qiongqi heard a powerful heartbeat.
Thump!
Like muffled thunder, it was Xu Mu’s heartbeat, heavy and strong.
Qiongqi was slightly startled, as it was more than just a strengthened heartbeat; Xu Mu's withered body, due to excessive blood loss, was now slowly plumping up.
Buzz…
A mysterious energy flowed, digesting the nutrients from the eggshell.
The energy from the eggshell, after flowing through the Glazed Heart, transformed into fresh red blood.
Thump, thump…
With each heartbeat, as the nutrients from the eggshell were digested, Xu Mu's pale complexion gradually regained its color, his forehead regained its luster, and even the abilities within his Golden Core began to increase exponentially.
Instantly, Xu Mu crossed the threshold into the ranks of a third-stage ability user, a brilliant aura flowing around him.
Qiongqi silently watched the miraculous changes before him; Xu Mu seemed to have truly come back to life.
He felt a sense of relief.
Fortunately, Xu Mu was still alive, his only friend was not dead.
And he no longer had to seek revenge from the Golden Dragon.
"What… happened?"
The mystical energy slowly dissipated, the changes within Xu Mu’s body complete. After three seconds of silence, he slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing that met his gaze was brilliant golden light.
He sensed his body's renewed strength, and a feeling of joy and power coursed through him, but he didn't know what had happened, as his memory only went as far as him bleeding for the dragon egg.
"Dragon?!"
Xu Mu narrowed his eyes, gradually making out the thing suspended above his head.
It was a golden hatchling, about three meters long.
"Wonderful, you've hatched!"
Xu Mu excitedly scrambled to his feet, completely oblivious to the fact that he had just been on the brink of death, and simply chuckled with joy.
His efforts had paid off; the dragon had finally broken free from its shell!
"Huh, how did I reach the third realm?"
The Golden Dragon in the sky remained silent, merely looking down at him. It was then that Xu Mu realized something was different about his body.
Upon careful examination, he discovered he had become a third-stage ability user, the realm of Brilliance.
He then looked at Qiongqi in surprise, his face full of questions.
"Don't look at me, look at him."
Qiongqi shook his head. He felt that Brother Haohan seemed a little different than before.
Although their current interaction was more comfortable, this was a bit too foolish. What if he got infected…
"That eggshell is a supreme treasure of heaven and earth nurtured by my clan according to the laws of the Great Dao. By consuming it, you naturally broke through."
The Golden Dragon's voice reached Xu Mu's ears. He beamed, his face flushed.
"Just passing out for a bit and reaching the third realm, the ancestors really didn't lie to me. This dragon is truly a symbol of auspiciousness!" Xu Mu thought to himself, while Charles, listening, twitched his forehead.
This child, was he foolish? Had he completely missed how dangerous it had just been?
Xu Mu certainly hadn't noticed; he was still immersed in the joy of the dragon egg's successful hatching.
"Oh right, my name is Xu Mu, I'm nineteen years old, and I'm the night watchman of Fengqing Village."
"This one here is Qiongqi, also from your Qiongqi clan."
After introducing himself, Xu Mu didn't forget to introduce Qiongqi beside him.
And speaking of Qiongqi, Xu Mu suddenly remembered something and spoke again:
"At the same time, he is also your elder brother."
"Hm?"
The Golden Dragon seemed not to have heard clearly, or perhaps it couldn't believe its ears.
It asked:
"What did you say?"
Xu Mu thought it hadn't heard clearly and repeated:
"I said he's your elder brother."
"He fed you a lot of blood, and contributed significantly to your hatching!"
Xu Mu said to the Golden Dragon with a serious expression, causing Qiongqi beside him to feel extremely awkward.
Before the Golden Dragon was born, he had considered being its elder brother, as it would sound very impressive… But after the Golden Dragon appeared, its mere pressure forced him to lower his head; he was lucky to be a younger sibling.
Xu Mu, however, directly declared him to be its elder brother?
Did he have enough lives to die for that?
The Golden Dragon's eyes narrowed.
It repeated itself, and this time, it finally confirmed what it had heard.
Thus, anger flickered in its eyes.
Did this human think that because he hatched it, he could boss it around?
Arrogant!
The Golden Dragon's gaze was terrifying, and thunder rumbled within its mouth, as if intending to teach Xu Mu a lesson.
But then, it clearly saw the sword hanging from the human's waist.
Darkness coiled around it, with countless inscriptions of the Great Dao, emanating supreme death and terror.
"A life of the same rank."
The Golden Dragon's gaze intensified. It wasn't that simple; the sword exerted a strong pressure on it.
Thus, it forcefully halted its attack.
Upon further inspection, it discovered that the human was wearing a ring on his hand.
It seemed to carry the scent of his ancestors.
The Golden Dragon's eyes widened in surprise.
No, not just that.
Within that aura, there was an existence even stronger than his ancestors, a supreme being!
Sensing this, the Golden Dragon forcefully suppressed the anger in its heart.
It hesitated for a moment, then asked as calmly as possible:
"Just because he fed me blood, does that make him my elder brother? This is not fair!"
"Given your favor towards me, I shall grant you one opportunity."
"If you cannot provide a suitable reason, I must respectfully decline this title!"
Upon hearing this, Qiongqi quickly interjected:
"No need to be so serious, it was actually a joke."
"Between brothers like us, why bother with seniority? We're all friends!"
Qiongqi said with a jovial smile, trying to smooth things over, but the Golden Dragon ignored him, its gaze fixed on Xu Mu.
Xu Mu thought for a moment, then replied:
"It's very simple."
"Because he was born before you, and he is older than you, he is naturally your elder brother."
The Golden Dragon did not expect Xu Mu to say this and countered:
"So what? There are countless ants in the world; does everyone who lives before me have the right to be my elder brother?"
Xu Mu shook his head:
"Of course not. This applies only to those with close relationships. For instance, Qiongqi actively fed you a lot of blood, and he is not an ant; he is a divine beast."
The Golden Dragon fell silent for a moment upon hearing this:
"What about you? Do you also want to be my elder brother?"
Xu Mu was taken aback and shook his head.
Seeing this, the Divine Dragon's anger subsided slightly. This human seemed to understand the situation.
But to his surprise, Xu Mu then nodded.
He heard Xu Mu say:
"I am nineteen years old this year, older than both of you."
"Qiongqi is your elder brother, and I am Qiongqi's elder brother."
"Therefore, I am your elder brother's elder brother."