Chapter 972 - Great Fire Dragon Esquiem
The Fifth Form, Jackal Deathsworn, was powerful, but it required numerous materials. As the newest rising faction in the Golden City, Han Wu showed no restraint at all. Whenever he lacked something, he demanded from the other factions, acting as if he owned the place.
The other factions could only suffer in silence. They couldn’t beat him, nor could they run. Once they learned that Han Wu’s true objective was the Golden City’s Purifying Spring Water, they collectively offered a hefty reward for a portion, just to get him to leave.
Unfortunately, Purifying Spring Water was so rare that anyone who acquired a portion used it immediately. None was ever left over. Hence, the factions had no choice but to keep tolerating Han Wu’s presence.
After considerable effort, Han Wu finally collected all the materials he needed for the Jackal Deathsworn from the other factions and absorbed them. During the absorption process, the Fifth Form and his First Form, Lone Wolf Warrior, triggered a peculiar resonance and fused together.
From that point onward, whenever Han Wu activated either the Lone Wolf Warrior or the Jackal Deathsworn, the other Form activated as well. That caused a double attribute multiplier during transformation, effectively granting him a fourfold increase in power.
The tremendous enhancement caused Han Wu’s combat power to soar. He roughly estimated that while using his Fifth Form, his overall strength would reach the level of a Seventh or even an Eighth Form fighter.
When news spread that Han Wu had absorbed the Jackal Deathsworn, the Golden City factions grew even more furious, yet none of them dared utter a word. They simply waited for the next batch of Purifying Spring Water to be produced. Every faction unanimously agreed that Han Wu didn’t need to compete for it. They would hand him a portion outright.
Han Wu accepted without hesitation. After cleansing the Golden Rune with the Purifying Spring Water, he successfully removed the first layer of its seal.
Although he was reluctant to leave behind the Golden City factions’ warm hospitality, he still had a mission to complete. In the end, he departed with their blessings and headed for his second destination, Volcano Valley.
This time, Han Wu wasn’t traveling alone. He commanded a hundred skeletons comparable to Fourth Form fighters, along with one Sixth Form Vajra Skeleton. Together, they formed a formidable force.
Once they arrived at Volcano Valley, Han Wu realized that the environment wasn’t suitable for his troops. The valley was scorching hot year-round, with frequent volcanic eruptions. The surface lava inflicted severe damage on skeletons, and the relentless heat was more than they could withstand.
Left with no alternative, Han Wu had to enter alone, brave the extreme heat, and find a Great Dragon somewhere within Volcano Valley.
While the intense heat drove away most life forms, it attracted countless fire spirits. They thrived in flames, and Volcano Valley was their paradise. The moment an outsider like Han Wu appeared, they launched their fiery attacks. They manipulated the lava and hurled it at him, trying to bury him beneath molten rock and burn him alive.
Han Wu had no intention of falling to a few streams of lava. He unleashed his strongest form, the Jackal Deathsworn, with which he controlled black sand to fight the fire spirits.
Superheated by the volcanic environment, the black sand became even deadlier. It was like thousands of red-hot iron nails, capable of punching clean through anything. Fire spirits with physical bodies were killed instantly.[1] Those without physical bodies fared no better.
Han Wu switched to his Third Form, Swordwind, and unleashed endless cutting gales that snuffed them out. Even so, the fighting took its toll. He could only rely on the handful of skills in his repertoire that increased fire resistance to maintain his condition. Without them, the valley’s constant heat damage alone would have been enough to grind him down.
After three days of searching and countless clashes with fire spirits, Han Wu finally spotted traces of a Great Dragon on one of the volcanoes. He excitedly shifted into his Swift Shadow form and flew to the summit. There, he found the Great Fire Dragon bathing in lava.
The scorching molten rock didn’t even qualify as warm water in its eyes. It swam freely through the magma without a care.
As Han Wu approached it, the Great Dragon sensed him immediately. Although Han Wu’s powers were sealed, his innate talents still functioned in the background. The moment the Great Dragon sensed him, its eyes went wide.
It turned toward him and spoke with wonder. “Is it you? The noble Defier!”
Han Wu nodded. Having travelled through so many worlds, he had come to understand the significance of the Defier title. Among the Great Dragon race, it carried immense prestige.
As expected, once Han Wu confirmed his identity, the Great Dragon became noticeably friendlier. “Noble Defier, did you come to play with Esquiem?”
Esquiem’s large eyes radiated pure innocence. Han Wu judged that this Great Dragon hadn’t reached adulthood yet, at least not mentally. After all, it showed absolutely no wariness toward a stranger.
“Esquiem, I’ve come to ask you for some Dragon Blood,” Han Wu said directly.
Esquiem blinked its large eyes. “Noble Defier, how much Dragon Blood do you need? Is a barrel enough?”
Esquiem’s generosity stunned Han Wu. This child is far too trusting. Doesn’t it know how precious Dragon Blood is? To think it would offer an entire barrel right off the bat.
Although Esquiem was enormous, freely giving away a barrel of Dragon Blood would definitely harm it.
“I don’t need that much. Just a cup will do,” Han Wu said, using his fingers to indicate the approximate amount.
Esquiem nodded cutely, then slammed a claw into its face as hard as it could. Its cheek immediately swelled, but not a single drop of blood appeared.
Esquiem was about to hit itself even harder until it drew blood, but Han Wu quickly stopped it from hurting itself any further.
Sympathy stirred in Han Wu’s heart. This child is unbelievably naive. If it had met anyone other than me, they would have swindled it down to its last bone.
He had a natural soft spot for Great Dragons. Watching Esquiem act so innocently only deepened his resolve to bring it back to his divine realm. Life in the White Soul Civilization was too harsh. His divine realm offered beautiful scenery, comfortable living conditions, and an unlimited supply of Fire Crystals to feast on.
Han Wu described his divine realm so convincingly that Esquiem was completely won over. It voluntarily signed a contract with Han Wu, agreeing to serve as his mount and fight for him from that day forward.
Unexpectedly, Han Wu gained a Sixth Form, Fire Dragon Knight, through the contract!
1. Red sand is rich in iron, not black sand.... ☜