Chapter 168 166- Thunder Dragon (1st Update, Cheer Me With Power Stones!)
The process of taming was even simpler than Ethan had imagined.
As the sandworms approached, halted by the Holy Light shield, Ethan was contemplating how best to tame them when something unusual occurred.
The creatures seemed to sense something, landing one by one, and started to gather around him.
They behaved as if fervent disciples had met their revered deity.
Moreover, within Ethan's consciousness, he felt a shift.
He sensed a multitude of tiny, chaotic calls originating from the sandworms.
"So, what's happening here?" Ethan was genuinely puzzled.
On a whim, he mentally instructed the sandworms, "Rise and spread out."
To his astonishment, they obeyed, taking to the air and dispersing as directed.
"Ethan, what's going on?" Mia asked, her curiosity evident.
Sherry, with widened eyes, couldn't hold back her question either, "Ethan, did you do this? Have you tamed these sandworms?"
"I believe so," Ethan replied, his elation evident, even though he wasn't entirely sure how he had managed to tame them. But thankfully, the issue was resolved.
However, with nightfall approaching, the group decided against continuing their journey, choosing to spend the night in the palace.
Ethan spent his time studying the newly tamed sandworms.
"Thunder Dragon?" He mused, "It must be a formidable species, given the 'rare' label. But how can I evolve the sandworm into a Thunder Dragon?"
Ethan tapped on the detailed information about the sandworm, focusing on the evolution direction towards Thunder Dragon, and began to ponder.
A moment later, an idea struck him.
"Just because I don't know doesn't mean others won't." Ethan chuckled.
Outside his territory, the chat function was still accessible.
But using it beyond his realm had its limitations and came with an additional cost, something Ethan had discovered on his last return.
Now, in the joyous aftermath of taming the sandworms, he hardly minded the minor cost of using the chat.
Soon after, Ethan, under an anonymous guise, posted a message.
[Anonymous Dark Lord: Generously rewarding any information on Thunder Dragon!]
The message instantly garnered responses from various Dark Lords.
[Thorn Dark Lord: What's this Thunder Dragon? Sounds like a formidable monster. Can you share some details about its might?]
[Stone Dark Lord: Not sure.]
[Phantom Dark Lord: A type of dragon, huh? Quite the lucky find.]
[Bloody Dark Lord: Has any Dark Lord been to Red Jade Valley? I'll pay handsomely for red jade—a piece of red jade can be exchanged for any hundred units of resources!]
[Phantom Dark Lord: Only fools would exchange red jade for resources! It's a powerful artifact that can enhance one's strength. I've heard that Hero has dispatched a massive army to get the red jade.]
[Shadow Dark Lord: What?! Such a thing is happening?]
Ethan's message was the topic of discussion only for a moment before the attention shifted.
"So many have set their eyes on Red Jade Valley!" Ethan murmured, a tinge of concern in his voice.
He had initially planned to dispatch his monsters to occupy the valley once he returned to his territory.
Given the overwhelming allure of red jade, however, this now seemed unfeasible.
He sent out another message. This time, he got a promising response.
[Lava Dark Lord: You seek information about the Thunder Dragon?]
[Anonymous Dark Lord: Indeed.]
[Lava Dark Lord: I possess knowledge about the Thunder Dragon. I obtained it from an ancient relic site, costing me an arm in the process.]
[Anonymous Dark Lord: Name your price for the information.]
Seeing Lava Dark Lord's message, Ethan couldn't help but chuckle.
Given the title "Lava Dark Lord," it was clear that this particular Dark Lord had ties to molten rock.
The Lava Dark Lord was considered virtually immortal; no matter the severity of his injuries, all he had to do was rest within molten lava to fully recover.
So, this business about losing an arm was likely just Lava Dark Lord's way of upping the stakes.
[Lava Dark Lord: Fifty pieces of red jade! Just to be clear, I only accept red jade in trade!]
Red jade! Always red jade!
Ethan murmured to himself in astonishment, "Has red jade become such a hot commodity outside? It's a pity I didn't seize the red jade from Luke when I had the chance. But Luke bears the mark I left on him. He can't escape."
[Anonymous Dark Lord: No problem. I'm currently in Red Jade Valley.] Ethan responded promptly.
[Lava Dark Lord: Really? That's great! I can provide the information about the Thunder Dragon. But when will you provide the red jade?]
[Anonymous Dark Lord: I'll be staying in Red Jade Valley for a while. I'm not sure when I'll be leaving.]
[Lava Dark Lord: I hope you're a man of your word. Here's the deal, I'll share the details about the Thunder Dragon with you. I also possess the method to further enhance the Thunder Dragon. If our first transaction goes smoothly, we can continue our trades.]
Having said that, Lava Dark Lord sent over another piece of information concerning the Thunder Dragon.
[Name: Thunder Dragon (Rare)]
[Intelligence: Equivalent to an adult male.]
[Strength: Five Stars]
[Soaring Dash: The Thunder Dragon possesses the ability to fly. Its robust carapace grants it impressive resistance against impacts. The Thunder Dragon can soar at high speeds, lunging at its foes.]
[Thunder Strike: The Thunder Dragon can unleash Thunders, assaulting its enemies and inducing a paralyzing effect.]
[Dragon Mighty: As a member of the dragon lineage, the Thunder Dragon innately exudes Dragon Mighty. It intimidates creatures whose Bloodline purity falls below the 'Rare' tier, reducing their attributes by fifty percent.]
[Thunder Resurrection: Upon death, the Thunder Dragon can be reborn within Thunder.]
[Attributes: HP 12000, Psychic Power 3000, Strength 310, Constitution 400, Agility 150]
[Enhancement Path: Unknown]
Ethan was momentarily stunned.
This was the most powerful monster he had ever come across.
Especially the last ability – the capability to be resurrected in Thunder meant the Thunder Dragon would never truly perish.
What an incredible power!
And as for the evolution process of the Thunder Dragon, Lava Dark Lord sent along that information as well.
[Evolution Recipe·Thunder Dragon]
[Upon absorbing the blood of a 'Rare' tier dragon species, an ancient unique creature, bestowed with the Thunder's Blessing, has a certain probability of transforming into a Thunder Dragon.]
[Scroll of Thunder's Blessing: Upon usage, bestows a creature with Thunder's Blessing.]
Along with the Thunder Dragon evolution recipe, an image of the Scroll of Thunder's Blessing was provided.
Gazing at the familiar text on the scroll, a smile crept onto Ethan's lips.
It bore an odd symbol, but Ethan was very familiar with it.
"I don't need the Scroll of Thunder's Blessing. I possess the Thunder-Language of Nature, allowing me to directly bestow blessings. And as for the 'Rare' tier dragon species – I am one myself. Given that, I suppose I could give it a try. The only uncertainty is the odds of the transformation. Hopefully, they aren't too slim."
Ethan felt a thrill he hadn't experienced in a long time.
Summoning several sandworms, he pricked his fingertip and squeezed out some blood.
The approaching sandworms became instantly agitated, yet without Ethan's command, they dared not move a step closer.
They hissed continuously, waiting eagerly, and only when Ethan gave the signal did they rush forward, greedily absorbing the blood.
"Now, for the Thunder Blessing." Ethan channeled the Thunder-Language of Nature.
Soon after, the blessing was completed, and Ethan's face darkened.
Out of the fifty sandworms he had summoned, not a single one survived the process.
"Could it be bad luck on my part?" Unfazed, Ethan decided to try again.
This time, he summoned a hundred sandworms.
Unsurprisingly, it was yet another failure.
The carcasses of the sandworms almost piled up into a small mound.
"Once more!" After several more attempts, with over a thousand sandworm deaths and still no birth of a Thunder Dragon, Ethan started to wonder.
"Did Lava Dark Lord deceive me?" He gazed at the vast number of sandworms on both sides, deciding to give it another shot.
Finally, with this batch of sandworms, something unusual happened.
The carapace of one particular sandworm began to crack.
As it did, an exceptional creature emerged.
It had a silvery-white body, wings on its back, and horns on its head, resembling a massive dragon.
However, it was only about the size of two of Ethan's fingers, making it appear incredibly endearing.
"Lord Ethan, what is this?"
Everyone had noticed Ethan's activities but chose not to interrupt.
Upon seeing the small creature in Ethan's hand, Mia couldn't resist approaching for a closer look.
Hiss~ Hiss~
As Mia neared, the Thunder Dragon in Ethan's grasp became restless.
The creature spread its wings, hissing continuously.
Glimmers of thunder flickered from its mouth, and it soon spat out a ball of lightning towards Mia.
In a split second, Ethan yanked Mia away.
The lightning ball crashed into the ground, causing a tremendous explosion.
"This...," Mia uttered, her eyes wide in shock.
The ground had been scarred with a vast crater.
Ethan turned to the Thunder Dragon and commanded, "Without my permission, you will not attack anyone!"
The Thunder Dragon lowered its head, looking genuinely remorseful.
But inside, Ethan's heart raced with excitement.
He hadn't anticipated the formidable power of the Thunder Dragon.
If he could assemble an army of Thunder Dragons, wouldn't they be invincible?
However, thinking of the success rate made him wince.
At that moment, a message from Lava Dark Lord came in.