Chapter 351 Therese: "It's simple, just insult me all you want!"
White Dragon Therese soared beneath thick, leaden clouds, raindrops constantly pounding against her broad wings.
Her gaze pierced through the rain, capturing the scene on the wasteland below.
The red iron dragon stood at the very center, surrounded by four familiar figures—Hriam, Cahill, Ludwig, and Serafina.
"Why are they here too?"
A hint of doubt arose in her mind.
She wondered to herself, "Could it be that the leader is just giving them some important task?"
Since deeply comprehending and practicing the ecological niche theory, Therese has been in a state of deep thinking for a long time, and her mental perception has become extremely sharp, far exceeding that of ordinary white dragons.
I don't know why.
At this moment, an indescribable sense of unease was quietly growing and spreading in her heart, as if something bad was about to happen.
Soon, the white dragon arrived at its destination.
But instead of landing immediately, she gradually reduced her speed and circled several more times under the gloomy sky.
She was trying to buy herself more time to think and observe.
Finally, she slowly landed in front of Galos.
"The Noble King of Molten Iron".
Therese avoided looking at the several teenage dragons beside her, whose eyes were burning with desire.
She gazed intently at the red iron dragon, her head bowed, and praised, "Every time I see you, you seem even more imposing and majestic than before."
"Even these thick, dark clouds cannot obscure your majestic and powerful dragon body."
Without delay, she quickly took out the sealed black oil crystals and handed them to Hong Tielong.
"The journey here was not safe."
Therese let out a long breath, as if she had relaxed from the tension, and said, "Although I encountered some minor setbacks along the way, such as a flock of blind giant eagles trying to intercept me, and a sudden thunderstorm... none of them could really stop my progress."
"Fortunately, the mission was accomplished, and the goods were delivered safely in the end."
In fact, her journey was smooth and unobstructed; she didn't even encounter a single decent monster.
But in order to emphasize that her trip was not just a simple errand, but one that involved risks and responsibilities, and to make herself seem important, she told a small lie without batting an eye.
Galos stored all the black oil crystals into his spatial artifact.
"Yeah, they arrived pretty quickly, not bad efficiency."
He gave a brief response, revealing little emotion.
At that moment, Therese quickly glanced at the several teenage dragons beside her out of the corner of her eye.
That glance sent a sudden jolt through her heart.
She noticed that the four dragons all had an almost barely suppressed smile on their faces, and their eyes revealed an undisguised eagerness, fixed intently on her.
Oops……
Therese instantly understood the source of her unease, and alarm bells rang in her mind.
"Now that the supplies have been delivered safely, if you have no other urgent requests, please..."
Bai Long blinked, making his tone sound natural and responsible, and said, "I'm about to return to the border."
"Under my careful education and guidance, the little dragons in Dragon Valley are in a critical growth period."
“They are growing stronger every day and will soon be able to contribute to the tribe. But they still have a lot of wisdom and rules to learn about survival and they cannot do without my guidance for a moment.”
Under Therese's tense gaze, Red Iron Dragon slowly shook his head.
No rush.
His large mouth seemed to be slightly upturned, as if he were smiling, and he said, "Hriam, Cahill, and the others, in a sense, are also students you once taught."
"It's been a while since you've seen each other. Now that you've reunited, you should have some things to talk about."
White Dragon Therese remained silent for a few seconds, then turned her gaze to the teenage dragons, puffing out her chest and head.
"Hriam, Cahill, Ludwig, Serafina."
This time, she didn't immediately show disdain, contempt, or condescension as she usually did.
A warm smile appeared on the dragon's face, which was covered with ice-crystal-like scales.
Bai Long, unusually so, said in a serious tone, "Seeing you all in your current state truly fills me with emotion."
"The four of you are undoubtedly the most outstanding and excellent students I have ever taught."
“In the past, in order to encourage your growth and unleash your potential to the fullest extent, I had to take some… well, perhaps rather extreme measures and do many things that went against my own gentle nature.”
“These actions may not have been understood by you at first, and may have even caused you to resent me.”
She shook her head helplessly and said, "However, seeing you gradually become an indispensable pillar of the Ironforge tribe and play an increasingly important role in the dragon horde makes me feel genuinely proud of you."
"Next, I will take you as my role models to inspire and teach the younger dragons."
"Let them all strive to be like you, let them all be proud of you."
Upon hearing White Dragon Therese's heartfelt words, so different from her usual demeanor, the four previously murderous teenage dragons were all taken aback, their faces showing a mixture of astonishment and confusion.
Could it be... could it be that all those insults and suppressions that Therese did in the past were really for their own good?
Is it an alternative, well-intentioned form of encouragement?
To be fair, without her almost cruel and strict supervision in the past, they wouldn't have trained so hard, nor would they have become as strong and resilient as they are now so quickly.
Perhaps all those unpleasant things that happened in the past were just a huge misunderstanding?
Is it because her acting is too good, or are we too narrow-minded?
The dragons exchanged glances subconsciously, and the intense malice and anger in their eyes dissipated and wavered considerably because of Therese's sudden outpouring of genuine emotion.
Therese noticed their softening mood and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
But the next second, her heart jumped into her throat.
Because the red iron dragon's voice rang out.
He echoed the white dragon's words, adding slowly, "Yes, in the arduous task of educating young dragons, I did give Therese a great deal of autonomy, allowing her to use the methods she deemed most effective."
"But even I didn't expect it at first."
"Her educational methods were so unique and effective."
Galos's gaze swept over the four teenage dragons, and he said, "Those repeated verbal insults, those relentless physical blows, that unique education that was so harsh it bordered on torture and trampling..."
“You should really remember this and thank her for it.”
Every word Galos uttered was like pouring a bucket of hot oil on the already slightly subsided anger of the teenage dragons.
The flames that had just dimmed in their eyes instantly reignited, burning even more fiercely.
"Yes! Your noble Pale Wings! We are indeed...very grateful for your teachings!"
Reminded by Garus, all the humiliating memories of the past surged back like a tidal wave. The four dragons practically spat out the words through gritted teeth and bared their fangs.
Regardless of their initial intentions, Bai Lin's insults and trampling on them were real.
Therese's heart instantly turned ice-cold.
"Ah! You wretched Garus! I suspect you're just stirring things up!"
She desperately wanted to shout that at Garros, but faced with the overwhelming and unfathomable Red Iron Dragon in terms of ecological niche, she instinctively swallowed the words back, without even changing her expression.
"No...no need to thank me."
Maintaining her composure, Therese continued, "While this was not my intention, it is my duty to guide and spur you toward strength; it is something I must do."
However, the dragons on the other side remained unmoved.
Within the curtain of wind and rain, their voices converged, piercing through the sound of the rain, and clearly proclaimed: "Noble Pale Wings... Therese! In the presence of the great Iron King! We challenge you!"
A satisfied look appeared on Garus's massive dragon head, as if this was exactly the scene he had been waiting for.
He said, "Therese, as a seasoned, mature dragon and their former mentor, you have no reason, morally or logically, to refuse this respectful challenge."
Immediately, he turned his head and looked at the four spirited young dragons.
"In what form would you like to conduct this challenge?"
After a brief exchange among the dragons, the blue dragon Heriam, acting as their representative, said in a deep voice, "One-on-one, take turns challenging each other!"
We must make her accept defeat wholeheartedly!
One-on-one?
This is simply asking for trouble.
Although Therese is recognized as the lowest-ranking white dragon among the five-colored dragons, she is, after all, a true adult dragon, over two hundred years old, and her life level is more than one level higher than these young dragons.
They might have a chance of beating her in a one-on-one fight, but it's extremely slim.
However, to Garos' slight surprise, the white dragon Therese shook her head.
She said, "No, that's not fair to you."
“Since you’re going to take on this challenge, I want to accept it in a fairer way, just like when I taught you before. All four of you, come at me together.”
In a one-on-one fight, she would most likely win.
But so what?
The gap in strength between them is no longer so huge.
Even if she wins, it doesn't mean she can insult them as freely as before. On the contrary, it will further escalate the conflict and make the other party accumulate even deeper anger.
Once they become stronger in the future, they will inevitably face a fiercer and more merciless counterattack.
Since that's the case, let's take advantage of the fact that their claws and teeth are not sharp enough and their strength has not completely surpassed ours, and use this challenge as an opportunity to let them vent their pent-up anger all at once!
Getting a beating is better than being remembered for a lifetime.
Wait, maybe I misunderstood Galos. He organized this challenge now because he cares about me. Therese thought to herself.
"good!"
The angry teenagers were only thinking about revenge and didn't think about the underlying schemes.
Hearing that Bai Long had actually asked to fight four people at once, they felt that the other party was still looking down on them, and their anger intensified. Without hesitation, they agreed.
Still too young, easily manipulated by this cunning white dragon. Garus shook his head slightly, discerning Therese's intentions. He realized that Therese had become increasingly intelligent since comprehending the niche theory.
However, he does not intend to interfere further.
The previous small instigation had already pushed things to this point to their limit. Since Therese was able to come up with a clever solution using her own wisdom, he, as the leader, should not interfere too much in their grudges and feuds.
"Then, I and this stormy weather will stand as witnesses to your challenge."
The roar of the red-hot iron dragon echoed across the sky.
He spread his giant wings and soared into the sky, circling high above, looking down at the battle that was about to begin.
On the ground, with the white dragon Therese at the center, four teenage dragons of different colors slowly spread out, surrounding her from four directions. Their dragon might spread out, and even the falling rain seemed to give way to them.
"Let's begin."
With a brief command from Garos descending from the sky, the four teenage dragons, like four arrows released from a bow, instantly tore through the wind and rain, simultaneously charging towards the white dragon Therese in the center from different directions.
The fastest was the blue dragon Heriam, whose wings shone with dazzling lightning.
With a crackling sound, he appeared almost instantly beside the white dragon, his body wreathed in leaping arcs of electricity. A claw, brimming with highly compressed lightning energy, tore through the air and viciously struck the white dragon's side of the head.
White Dragon Therese reacted extremely quickly.
She immediately raised her massive forepaws, and a surge of cold air instantly condensed into ice armor on her claws, meeting the blue dragon's lightning claw strike head-on.
Bang!
The claws collided violently with the ice armor, accompanied by a teeth-grinding cracking sound. The ice armor shattered inch by inch, and the white dragon's massive body was shaken back several steps, its claws and arms going numb.
Immediately afterwards, a blazing dragon shadow, as hot as a meteor, crashed in.
It was the red dragon Cahill. With her wild charge, she crashed solidly into the white dragon. The immense force sent the unsteady Therese flying into the air, tumbling backward.
She had just landed heavily, and before Bai Long could even steady her dizzy body, the ground beneath her feet suddenly churned violently.
Countless thick, python-like vines burst from the ground and nimbly and swiftly wrapped around the white dragon's limbs, neck, and wings.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Accompanied by a chilling sound of bones grinding together, pale bone spears materialized out of thin air, shooting towards the temporarily bound white dragon with a mournful whistling sound.
call!
Therese suddenly flapped her wings, stirring up a fierce icy wind mixed with countless sharp ice blades.
The ice blades spun and cut, severing the vines that entwined her body. At the same time, she met the incoming bone spears head-on, successfully intercepting and shattering most of them in mid-air amidst a series of crackling collisions.
Boom!
Just as she was dealing with the frontal attack, a blazing bolt of lightning suddenly cleaved through the dark clouds and struck the white dragon Therese on the back.
This was a lightning strike guided by Heriam.
"Ugh!" Therese let out a painful groan, her massive body trembling violently, dazzling electric snakes coursing through her, her movements instantly becoming stiff and sluggish.
Blue Dragon Heriam seized the opportunity and flew over again.
His lightning-cracking claws tore towards the white dragon's face.
Still paralyzed, Therese barely managed to lower her head and narrowly avoid the claw strike that could have disfigured her. But when Herriam missed, he swung his dragon tail, the lightning-wrapped tip of which lashed Therese's back like a steel whip.
Sizzle! The ice armor shattered, scales flew everywhere, leaving several charred, torn wounds.
call--!
On the other side, the fiery breath that the red dragon Cahill had prepared was complete! A fiery torrent, powerful enough to melt metal and stone, evaporated all the rainwater along its path and rushed straight toward the staggering Therese with terrifying heat.
"These brats... they really don't know their own strength, they have no respect for their elders at all!"
Therese cursed inwardly, but outwardly she appeared to be unable to move due to being electrocuted.
Just as the raging torrent was about to engulf her, she, who had been in a numb and stiff state, suddenly seemed to unleash her potential, spreading her wings and pushing off the ground with all her might, barely managing to take off and dodge the scorching path of the red dragon's breath in a disheveled manner.
However, just as she took off, another precise bolt of lightning struck down from the sky.
boom!
Struck by lightning once again, Therese let out a wail, her body billowing black smoke as she plummeted erratically to the ground from the low sky.
The dragons were not about to let such a good opportunity pass them by, and they all roared and charged forward.
The brilliance of spells shone brightly, and skills from all paths were frequently unleashed.
Sharp claws, powerful dragon wings, a hard tail... every part that could be used for attack was transformed into a weapon, raining down on the white dragon like a storm.
With their numerical advantage and teamwork, the teenage dragons quickly overwhelmed the white dragon Therese.
Bang!
The blue dragon, its tail wreathed in blinding lightning, lashed out like a steel whip at the white dragon's ribs, sending her flying to the left.
Snap!
The red dragon's massive claws, wreathed in scorching flames, slammed down like a battering ram, sending her tumbling to the right.
Pfft! Pfft!
The black and green dragons took the opportunity to press down with their bodies, using their weight and sharp teeth to tear and crush its back and wing roots.
The balance of power is tilting rapidly.
The white dragon, which had been attacked by the four dragons, looked extremely miserable. Its scales were broken and covered in blood. The white dragon scales were filthy with mud, scorch marks and blood, making it look extremely wretched.
However, those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things more clearly.
Galos, who was calmly observing the battle from the sky, could see it very clearly.
Although Therese was covered in cuts and looked miserable, most of those were just minor external injuries and superficial treatment.
She cunningly offered her strongest and thickest parts to the young dragons to attack, while she either focused on blocking and defending against attacks that could seriously harm her, such as those aimed at her eyes, throat, wing membranes, or soft parts of her abdomen, or she would appear disheveled but actually twist her body precisely to avoid the vital points.
She has now almost completely given up fighting back, letting the teenage dragons vent their anger on her.
Moreover, she never begged for mercy or surrendered from beginning to end.
As time passed and the sharp teeth and claws left increasingly dense wounds on the white dragon's body, the anger and resentment that had been building up in the young dragons' hearts gradually subsided with each attack.
They began to feel that beating up an opponent who couldn't fight back and was just passively taking the beating wasn't so interesting anymore.
After the anger subsided, I gradually felt a bit bored.
Finally, when the white dragon Therese stood there, almost covered in wounds and blood, panting heavily, as if she could barely stand.
"Bai Lin! Do you see clearly now? You are no match for us!"
The blue dragon Hriam ceased its attack, grinned, revealing fangs stained with a few drops of blood, and said in a deep voice, "Before us, take back all your past pride and contempt! Acknowledge our strength!"
With that, he leaped backward, ceasing his attack.
The other dragons, panting, hurled threats at Therese such as "Show some respect next time!" and "Don't let us hear any more insults from you!" or engaged in verbal abuse before finally stopping.
Throughout the entire process, White Dragon Therese simply kept her head down.
She completely adopted a submissive, resigned, and utterly defeated demeanor.
No matter how much she was beaten or scolded, she endured it.
Since her injuries weren't serious, the curses and insults were like a gentle breeze to her.
"Okay, that's enough."
Red Iron Dragon finished speaking, bringing the challenge to a close: "Your previous grudges end here from this moment on. I don't want to see any future conflicts within the dragon horde because of this."
Not long after.
Several satisfied and finally triumphant teenage dragons departed, returning to their posts to continue performing their duties.
On the desolate wasteland, only the battered white dragon Therese and the slowly descending red iron dragon remained.
"I understand... I get it!"
At this moment, Therese stretched her wings and twisted her neck.
His previous weak and disheveled appearance vanished, replaced by a look of sudden realization.
You've figured it out again?
What did I realize?
Galos tilted his head slightly and looked at the white dragon Therese.
"Whenever the baby dragons grow to a certain size and their wings start to harden," Therese said.
"I should have taken the initiative to organize or induce them to launch such a challenge before I was truly unable to beat them, and then let them insult me to vent my accumulated anger and negative emotions."
"In this way, the retaliation I suffered was kept within a predictable and easily bearable range."
"The cost of this physical pain is negligible compared to the uncontrollable retaliation that may be faced in the future."
As she spoke, she looked at the silent Red Iron Dragon beside her, her eyes filled with sincere gratitude.
"Thank you so much, Garus!"
Therese said in an admiring tone, "You must have foreseen all of this, which is why you brought about today's challenge."
"This is a wake-up call for me!"
"Without this reminder and arrangement, I would never have thought of this. Your wisdom is as deep as the ocean, and I truly admire you!"
Galos remained silent for a few seconds before finally nodding slowly.
That's right, he had actually anticipated it long ago.
This attempt to instigate the battle may seem like a prank, but in reality, it's a way to eliminate the grudges between her and the teenage dragons before the white dragon arrives, so that things won't get worse later.
Galos thought the white dragon wouldn't see through it, but she was much smarter than before. She could think of this level and even apply it to other situations, figuring out how she should handle similar things in the future.
"Therese."
Galos thought of a question and asked, "After today's counterattack, will it change your mind and make you less strict with other young dragons in the future? Will you become more lenient?"
Upon hearing this, White Dragon Therese immediately grinned widely, revealing a smug smile.
Of course not!
She answered decisively: "On the contrary! Just like Heriam and the others! No matter how powerful they become in the future, whether they become powerful dragon kings or even high-ranking dragon gods, they will never change the established fact."
“They! They have all been repeatedly insulted and repeatedly educated by me.”
Therese became more and more proud as she spoke, puffing out her chest again: "The higher they climb and the stronger they become, the stronger my sense of accomplishment and honor will be."
"So you can rest assured!"
"I will also give the other little dragons in Dragon Valley the same unwavering, dedicated, and consistent guidance! I will ensure they thrive!"
Galos was utterly speechless.
Looking at the white dragon before him, whose thinking was peculiar and who was clearly enjoying himself, he had to admit that, to some extent, Therese might truly be a peerless genius among white dragons, one in a million.
Not long after.
Feeling quite pleased with herself, the white dragon Therese flapped her wings contentedly and returned to the borderland, Dragon Valley, to continue diligently teaching her new generation of students.
Galos remained where he was, preparing to continue his intense, inhuman training.
However, just as he regained his high spirits and golden lightning flashed around him, a message from Xia Er interrupted his actions.
"Lord Garros."
Charles's voice came through the communication device, saying, "After exploration, we discovered a lost underground city at the very bottom of the Worm Pit. Judging from the architectural style, it should be the Marnes Underground City."
After the battle with the lich ended, Garros instructed Shar to send some elite troops to explore the abandoned mines.
And now, the exploration has yielded results.
"There really is an underground city..."
Galos was momentarily stunned.
To be honest, he never expected the map to be real. He had only sent his subordinates to explore the situation, thinking it was better than nothing.
The result, however, exceeded his expectations.
"So, is that legendary item also hidden somewhere in this underground city?"
"My luck seems to have been exceptionally good for once."
Galos took a deep breath of the rain-soaked air and ordered Charles in a deep voice, "You will personally select and lead an elite and reliable exploration team to continue exploring the Marnes Dungeon. Notify me immediately of any developments."
This planet has a highly developed alchemy system, with countless alchemical tools.
Even so, items or equipment that can reach the legendary level are still incredibly precious and rare.
If one could actually obtain one, regardless of its specific effects or type, it would undoubtedly possess extraordinary and immense value.
(End of this chapter)
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