Chapter 305 - Epic Crisis

“Every gift has already been secretly assigned a price.”

Gu Qingyi’s eyes flickered as she read the transmission. The Dragon Pearl fragment had allowed her to stay one step ahead, yet she hadn’t expected it to bring about such a disaster.

“I’ll head over immediately.”

She quickly responded to the Mystic City Association before preparing to leave.

However, just as she was about to depart, Lu Ran grabbed her arm.

“Wait a moment, Dr. Gu. Based on the photos, this divine dragon is at least level 70 or higher. Even the Merfolk King wouldn’t be able to defeat it. If you go alone, you won’t make a difference. In fact, you might end up becoming its primary target.”

“Then what should we do?” Gu Qingyi turned to Lu Ran.

He sighed helplessly. “I’m saying that Manager Ying and I should go with you. At least we can help a little, especially when it comes to running away.”

What?

Manager Ying was confused.

***

When the black dragon appeared, the sky and earth changed color. In Mystic City, many assembled beastmasters looked up at the massive divine dragon in the sky, their faces drained of color, and some nearly peed their pants. The news spread across the country at an astonishing speed. Images of the black dragon taken by bystanders rapidly circulated on the internet.

Across the nation, people stared in shock at the catastrophic scene unfolding behind the black dragon. Of course, the ones most on edge were the beastmasters in Mystic City.

Recently, several countries have suffered attacks from powerful beasts, and some smaller nations had even been eradicated by ancient creatures. So far, Xia had been fortunate as there had been no major disasters. But now, with the arrival of this black dragon, fear gripped every beastmaster in Mystic City.

Based on its sheer presence, this black dragon was far more terrifying than the great serpent that had ravaged Africa.

[Species: Black Abyssal Dragon King]

[Attribute: Dragon (Dark, Water, Fire)]

[Species Rank: Superior Overlord]

[Level: 70]

Those who were able to analyze the Black Dragon’s data with the Eye of Detection felt a chill down their spines. There was no doubt that this was a top ancient creature.

“

RAWR!

”

The Black Abyssal Dragon King hovered over Mystic City, its body locked onto by countless weapons. Despite its scornful expression, its eyes held confusion. It was searching for a specific presence that was strongest here. Yet now that it had arrived, the trail had disappeared.

“I am searching for a Dragon Pearl fragment. It is here, among you. I will give you ten days. Find it and hand it over, and we will part ways peacefully. If you fail, I will return in ten days to search for it myself. And when that time comes, I cannot guarantee that my search will not result in destruction.”

Although the Black Abyssal Dragon King looked down on the warships, fighter jets, and beastmasters surrounding it, it did not act recklessly.

Recently, the International Alliance had used multiple nuclear warheads to bombard the ancient serpent. Every powerful beast across the world had sensed the terrifying destructive power of such weapons.

While some beasts believed that, as long as they were aware of such weapons in advance, they could avoid being hit, none of them could ignore the potential danger of human technology.

Since its trail had gone cold, the Black Abyssal Dragon King decided to use telepathy to issue its ultimatum. After all, the Dragon Pearl fragment was useless to humans. It was confident they would not be foolish enough to oppose Dragon Palace.

After delivering its message, the Black Abyssal Dragon King turned and flew away. Its massive form vanished into the horizon under the tense gazes of countless people. Only after its silhouette disappeared did the beastmasters in Mystic City finally exhale in relief. Many were still trembling from the encounter.

“What does that thing even mean?”

A retired first-generation beastmaster stood on top of a high tower, watching the black dragon disappear, confused.

A Dragon Pearl fragment? Does Xia even have something like that?

“That thing was too damn arrogant!”

As soon as the black dragon left, some hot-tempered beastmasters immediately began cursing.

“But it has the strength to be arrogant.”

“Just nuke it like other countries did!” someone countered.

“It’s not that simple. That kind of weapon has too many restrictions. The conditions for its use are too strict.”

As they watched the black dragon disappear, many people felt as though they had just survived the gates of death. The entire Xia broke into a cold sweat. However, most other nations were not sympathetic. In fact, many were joking about it.

The moment the black dragon descended upon Mystic City, intelligence agencies in major countries were immediately informed.

“So, even this eastern superpower is being targeted by beasts now. And it’s a dragon ancient creature!”

“I wonder what they’ll do?”

“The Black Dragon King is likely from Dragon Palace. It is a deep-sea Overlord. If a battle breaks out, nuclear weapons will be difficult to deploy. And given Xia’s situation, they probably won’t use them so easily.”

“So, will they surrender?”

“Just like in the past—cede territory, pay reparations, and greet it with a smile.”

As disasters erupted worldwide, even the Eagle Federation had suffered two incidents involving ancient creatures. Now that Xia was facing a similar crisis, it drew global attention. Some people even felt disappointed that a battle hadn’t broken out immediately.

“It actually left...”

On top of the tallest tower in Mystic City, Lu Ran, Gu Qingyi, and Manager Ying watched the sea return to calm. They let out breaths of relief. They had rushed here anxiously, not knowing what they would face upon arrival. Fortunately, things weren’t as bad as they had feared.

Manager Ying spoke up. “It really did come for the Dragon Pearl fragment. It seems capable of detecting the Dragon Pearl’s energy, but it can’t pinpoint its exact location. Since Qingyi has lived and trained in Mystic City for so long, the residual Dragon Pearl energy here is probably the strongest, which must have drawn it over. What do we do next? We don’t have a Dragon Pearl fragment to give it.”

Lu Ran said, “Manager Ying, wake up. Even if we did have one, we wouldn’t just hand it over.”

“I know that!” Manager Ying scoffed.

History—whether on Blue Planet or Stellar Moon Continent—had taught one clear lesson. Weakness only led to greater oppression. If Xia yielded now, then soon, it wouldn’t just be the Black Dragon King. A White Dragon King could come tomorrow. A Red Dragon King the day after. Dragon Palace would gain fame among beasts as the ones who made humans surrender.

Regardless of whether Gu Qingyi could produce the Dragon Pearl fragment, the Black Dragon King had made its stance clear—there was no room for negotiation.

“The rest of the Twelve Zodiacs should be arriving soon. Let’s meet with them first.”

At this moment, the one feeling the most pressure was Gu Qingyi. She let out a deep breath, her frustration evident. Lu Ran and Manager Ying could clearly sense her helplessness.

***

Mystic City Association, Twelve Zodiacs Meeting.

Aside from the two members who were currently abroad, the remaining ten first-generation beastmasters had all rushed to Mystic City shortly after the Black Dragon King’s departure. For this meeting, an exception was made. Lu Ran and Manager Ying were allowed to participate alongside Gu Qingyi.

Someone suddenly slammed the table in frustration. “Why does this have to happen now? The old president just entered the ascension realm for a breakthrough! Wasn’t that supposed to be classified information?”

“Is it possible that even if the old president were here, they wouldn’t be able to defeat a level 70 Overlord?”

“You really know how to give us a massive headache.”

As the discussion continued, Lin Nian turned to Gu Qingyi with an exasperated expression.

Everyone in the room knew exactly how Gu Qingyi had nurtured her Dragon-attribute familiar. Naturally, they understood what the Black Dragon King meant by the Dragon Pearl fragment.

Shi Zhen let out a heavy sigh. “We have no choice but to prepare for battle. After all, we can’t expect Gu Qingyi to just hand over her Azure Sea Dragon, which has already fused with the Dragon Pearl fragment.

“The Black Dragon King resides in the deep sea. We can’t take the initiative and strike first. It only appears when it’s close to Mystic City. Even if we go all out, whether we can defeat it is one thing—what’s certain is that the damage to this city would be catastrophic. Even if we win, the price will be hard to accept.”

“The online debate has already started.” Zi Shu held up his phone. “Some are arguing that we should just hand over the Dragon Pearl fragment and be done with it. Others are demanding war. The internet is in chaos.”

Silence fell over the room. Fortunately, the general public didn’t know about Gu Qingyi’s connection to the Dragon Pearl fragment. Otherwise, her situation would become extremely precarious as she’d likely be subjected to moral coercion. At times like this, people often preferred the idea of one person sacrificing themselves for the supposed greater good.

“The International Beastmaster Alliance hasn’t offered any assistance either.”

As the conversation continued, Gu Qingyi finally spoke. “This situation was caused by me. I can’t let innocent people suffer because of it.”

“And what do you plan to do about it? Surrender?” Lin Nian asked.

Gu Qingyi was calm. “Impossible. Even if I have to die, I will never surrender. If necessary, I’ll leave Xia and head to an uninhabited island to negotiate with the Black Dragon King alone. If it understands that the Dragon Pearl fragment has already been used and chooses to let it go, then that would be the best outcome.

“But if it refuses to accept that answer and demands more, then I will fight it myself. This time, the Black Dragon didn’t attack immediately. That means it still has some degree of wariness toward human nations. After I fight it, regardless of the outcome, it likely won’t launch another attack on Mystic City.”

Seeing Gu Qingyi’s temper flare, Manager Ying immediately interjected. “Hey, hey, hey! Even if the Azure Sea Dragon has evolved into an Overlord, it still won’t be able to defeat the Black Dragon King! This is basically suicide!”

Lin Nian smirked. “I agree. But let’s use Gu Qingyi as bait to lure the Black Dragon King somewhere else. If negotiations fail, we’ll strike together. I refuse to believe that so many of us can’t take down a single giant black eel. Does anyone object?”

A brief silence followed until Shi Zhen spoke, “The risk is too high. The higher-ups likely won’t approve this plan, especially since the president isn’t here. If we fail, the consequences for Xia will be irreversible.”

Lu Ran, who had been quietly observing, could feel the situation becoming increasingly tense.

Ten days...

Lu Ran suddenly spoke up, “If we offer Necromancy techniques as compensation, we might be able to convince strong beastmasters from other nations to assist us.”

“That’s a nice idea, but do you really think strong beastmasters are willing to risk their lives against a level 70 Dragon boss? Most of them will probably retreat to Limitless City the moment things go south,” someone replied.

Zhu Kaixin shrugged. “This feels like a dead end. We definitely won’t surrender, but we also can’t just roll over and appease Dragon Palace by offering up some random resources. That’s just unacceptable.”

Lu Ran stood up. “One thing is for sure. Dr. Gu isn’t going to face this alone. For now, let’s not rush into a decision. We still have ten days. There might be another way out.”

The others exchanged glances. They knew it was impossible to resolve everything in such a short amount of time.

***

As the Twelve Zodiacs dispersed, the massive conference room was left with only three people—Lu Ran, Gu Qingyi, and Manager Ying.

After a long silence, Gu Qingyi hesitated before speaking. “Maybe... Maybe I should just stick with my original plan. It seems like the least costly solution.”

Lu Ran looked at her in disbelief. “Dr. Gu, are you crazy? If you sacrifice yourself, how can you be sure the Black Dragon King won’t keep demanding more? Dragons are greedy by nature. It might just become even more brazen. We definitely can’t defeat it with conventional forces. We need a solution... a solution...”

Gu Qingyi glanced at him, somewhat skeptical.

A level 3 beastmaster like you... what solution could you possibly come up with?

But still, she felt touched by his concern.

Lu Ran suddenly muttered. “The Divine Deer. The Divine Deer is a Legendary lifeform, a Supreme Divine Dragon’s kin, and a level 100 Legendary species. If we can seek its aid, the Black Dragon King would be no threat at all.”

“

Pfft.

” Manager Ying scoffed. “And where do you plan to find a Divine Deer? You’d have better luck hoping that my true form awakens.”

“Your true form is on par with the black dragon?”

As they were in discussion, a voice suddenly came from the door. “Your true form?”

Lin Nian, who had just left, had returned and locked her gaze on Manager Ying. “Little cat, are you serious?”

For once, Manager Ying found itself at a loss for words.

“Psychic girl, do you want to gamble? I say let Xia pour all its resources into awakening my true form. If that works, I’ll take care of that damn dragon myself.”

“Manager Ying?” Gu Qingyi stared at it in shock.

This lazy cat, who always claimed to be weak, is suddenly acting so bold?

Lu Ran chimed in. “Is that really possible? Then I want in too! Let the Beastmaster Association fully strengthen my familiar legion. If it comes to a fight, I want to stand on the battlefield as well. But honestly... I still think finding the Divine Deer is our best bet.”