Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
They flew toward the west out of Yuzhou through Chuan Fu Base City before finally reaching the air space above the Qing Tian Plateau. Gao Peng looked down at the boundless green expanse below him. He could sense that something was asleep down there.
The last time he flew over the Qing Tian Plateau, his data frame suddenly popped up before his eyes. It was then that he realized there was a Tian Qing Azure Dragon lying dormant at the foot of the plateau.
The Tian Qing Azure Dragon was still sleeping. It had absorbed all the seismic energy from the earth veins around it.
As soon as they flew a good distance over the Qing Tian plateau, they took a southward turn. The name “Himalaya” literally meant “abode of the snow” in Sanskrit.
High above one of the peaks on the Himalayan mountain range, the White Dragon plunged headfirst through an invisible barrier. In the next second, the cold wind and snow around it disappeared.
A calm sea was below Gao Peng. After flying for another hour, he could see an archipelago rising out from the horizon. There were many islands clustered around that part of the ocean. It was impossible to tell how many islands there were.
“This is the Dragon Archipelago,” the high priest said.
“The Dragon Archipelago…” Gao Peng nodded. So, this is where the White Dragon tribe lives.
They flew toward one of the islands closest to the center of the archipelago. Its terrain was more elevated than the others. Winged dragons circled the sky above them while sea dragons roiled the waters between the islands.
It was clear that dragon-type monsters were the main wildlife inhabiting this archipelago. Some of them resembled those from the Dragon Death Valley. However, unlike their Dragon Death Valley counterparts, most of these dragons were Familiars, and there were all kinds of them. The average level of these dragons was also a lot higher than that of their Dragon Death Valley counterparts.
“I guess this is where we part ways,” the little girl said timorously to the silver-haired woman and Gao Peng.
“Alright,” the silver-haired woman replied. “You train well now. Make sure you make your brother proud at the next tribe gathering.”
“OK,” the girl obediently said before signaling the white dragon to take off.
With a wave of her hand, the old woman summoned two winged dragons down from the sky. The dragons had brownish hides. Their heads were flat and slender. Their wings were leathery like those of bats, and their tails were as long as a whip.
The two dragons seemed extremely obedient in the presence of the high priestess. They were looking expectantly at her as they waited for her commands.
“These dragons were tamed by the people of the White Dragon tribe,” the high priestess explained. “They basically serve as the tribe’s Familiars. They were domesticated at birth and have lived most of their lives in the Dragon Archipelago. Of course, the other two top-tier tribes and the seven king-tier tribes practiced the domestication of monsters as well. These creatures could be dispatched quickly into the battlefield in times of war.”
Her lengthy explanation made it seem as if she trying to warn Gao Peng not to do anything rash. That was understandable considering the fact that Gao Peng had a record of making rash decisions. The slaughter of the Youhu tribe was still fresh in everyone’s mind.
Gao Peng was the kind of guy who would flip the entire table over at the slightest disagreement. However, nobody seemed to mind his presence in the archipelago. He had been invited by the high priestess. No one was dumb enough to challenge her decision.
The silver-haired woman had her own personal island. That was where Gao Peng would be staying during his time in the Dragon Archipelago. The island was situated at the center of the Dragon Archipelago. Its expansive surface was adorned with various geographical features such as mountain ranges, flatlands, and lakes.
It was then that Gao Peng saw the high priestess’s Familiars. In truth, every generation’s high priest was a Holy Individual. The present high priestess was not an exception to this rule.
Only Holy Individuals were qualified to compete for the title of the White Dragon tribe’s high priest. The high priestess had two Saint Tier Familiars. This spoke volumes of the true extent of her power. One was a Level 86 Epic-grade Wicked Green Dragon. The other was a Level 89 Legendary-grade Earthbreaker Dragon Ape.
Gao Peng summoned Goldie out. Goldie’s high magical resistance and humanoid size made it the perfect Familiar to have around him. Also, the bird’s honesty was simply endearing.
“Gao Peng, is this the ocean?” Goldie asked as it observed its surroundings.
“That’s right. We’re in the middle of the White Dragon tribe’s archipelago. There are two Saint Tier Familiars here on the island. Try not to stray too far from me,” Gao Peng said.
“Let’s go fishing, Gao Peng,” Goldie enthusiastically said, pointing at the beach.
Gao Peng thought about it for a moment. The high priestess had told him not to wander about on his own. She was probably referring to the other islands in the archipelago when she said that. He should be fine as long as he kept his wanderings within the boundaries of her island.
“Sure, why not?” he said.
…
A group of adolescents were riding their Familiars across the surface of the sea, letting out occasional howls of ecstasy. At times, monsters would pop up to the surface from the depths of the sea and circle around the adolescents like avid spectators to their race.
“Haha, Brother Du, you’ll be able to show everyone what you’re made of five days from now during the tribal gathering. Show all those minor tribes the true strength of the White Dragon tribe,” said a young man with tanned skin, who was riding on the back of an aquatic dragon.
“Brother Du’s Familiar has already reached Overlord Tier. He’s now a 26-year-old Overlord Tier Trainer. Those minor tribes don’t stand a ghost of a chance against him,” someone else added.
The young man whom everyone addressed as Brother Du was sitting on the back of a dragon turtle. The creature’s head and back were lined with sharp spines. It looked positively intimidating.
In spite of all the praise he received, Brother Du’s face remained impassive. Deep down, however, he was quite pleased about all the attention he was getting. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There are probably others out there who are way more talented than I am.”
“I heard that the people who just came back yesterday brought with them some kind of genius from the Ancestral Land,” one of them said. “First of his kind, not sure how much truth there is to that. Whoever he or she is, there’s no way they can hold a candle to Brother Du. Bai Fei, didn’t you go to the Ancestral Land with the high priestess recently? Did you see what he looks like? Probably not what you expected him to be, eh?”
“He’s called Gao Peng. I think he’s also an Overlord Tier Trainer,” Bai Fei said. “He’s also 23 years old, if I’m not mistaken.”
An awkward silence fell over them. The composure on Bai Du’s face slowly began to crumble. A 23-year-old Overlord Tier Trainer? Even those blessed by the gods themselves weren’t that lucky.
Thanks to the White Dragon tribe’s extensive resources and his Familiar’s innate talent, he was able to reach Overlord Tier. This Gao Peng… what does he have that I don’t?
Bai Du had to admit that he was a bit jealous. However, he had no intention of plotting against Gao Peng out of jealousy.
“Whether he’s really an Overlord Tier Trainer still remains to be seen. He probably has you all fooled,” said Bai Du’s little brother, Bai Ge.
“That’s enough. A 23-year-old Overlord Tier Trainer is certainly something. However, this does not mean anything,” Bai Du said. There was a look of determination on his face. “A Familiar still has a long way to go after Overlord-tier. I would like to see whose Familiars reach Saint Tier first, mine or his! Now, that would be a true testament to one’s skill. Only Saint Tier trainers are truly qualified to join the ranks of the strong!”
“Brother, I believe in you. You can definitely surpass this nobody,” Bai Ge said, nodding vehemently.
Ever since they were kids, Bai Du had always been his hero. He had always believed that his brother was the strongest trainer in the world.
