Evolving by devouring from a young dragon

The Lion King fell into a long silence, and the pale yellow aura around him dimmed.

The altar returned to its deathly silence.

Alduin remained where he was, his vertical pupils calmly fixed on the Lion King. He said nothing more, simply waiting quietly.

The moment he entered the Lion King's Soul Sea, he had already discovered this secret.

That sea of ​​souls was a hazy gray, filled with darkness and death, and even the Lion King's soul was hidden in a corner.

Even the most damaged soul of a normal living being will still have a breath of life.

But the Lion King's soul is different.

It has no temperature or emotional fluctuations, and even its soul is in a semi-petrified state.

Auduin looked at the half-petrified lion king before him, and he knew exactly what was going on.

He is not the king of the Lion Clan... or rather, Rockbiter is the king of the Lion Clan.

The so-called aging and petrification is nothing more than the depletion of the sacred object's power, causing the physical body to gradually turn to dust.

He wanted to retrieve the other three stone emblems, solely for the power within them to prolong his life.

The Lion King broke the silence first; instead of questioning, he spoke softly.

"You're right, I am Lieyan Hui, Lieyan Hui is me." His voice was calm and even.

"Three hundred years ago, the Lion Clan ancestor infused me with the power of the Rock-Splitting Emblem, making me the embodiment of the emblem. From that day on, I was no longer a lion, but merely an object that carried power."

Auduin's heart skipped a beat; the Lion King's admission completely confirmed his previous thoughts.

And I, relying on this power, rose to legendary status, leading the Lion Clan to rise in the North and securing our foothold.

The lion king's voice echoed in the empty altar, sounding somewhat desolate.

"For three hundred years, I have protected the lion clan, defended against foreign enemies, and suppressed various forces in the northern border. I appear to be the supreme beast king, but in reality, I am just a puppet bound by the emblem."

He looked down at his petrified arm and said bitterly.

"My strength is dwindling day by day. My body is beginning to petrify, and my soul is crumbling along with it. I can't find a way to replenish my strength. I can only rely on collecting the remaining stone emblems and borrowing the power of the same source to prolong my life, to protect this body, and to protect the Lion Clan."

"You must have seen the strangeness of the Lion Clan. Newborns in the clan are born with a petrification curse, their bodies covered with stone patterns that are difficult to remove for life."

She paused, then continued, her voice tinged with guilt.

"It is I, the power of the Rock Crest that has been leaking out year after year, soaking the land and water of the Lion Clan territory, and polluting every member of the clan little by little."

The stronger I am, the slower the power erodes, and the milder the petrification symptoms of my people; the weaker I am, the faster the power dissipates, and the more severe the curse becomes.

"Once I have completely turned into raw stone and the Rock Crest has fallen into complete silence, within ten years, the entire Lion Clan will be reduced to lifeless stone statues."

Alduin didn't reply. He remained crouched, his vertical pupils gazing indifferently at the Lion King, his thoughts racing.

With the power of the Rockbreaker emblem exhausted, the Lion King's body turned to stone, and the Lion Clan's curse spread. He needed the remaining three emblems to sustain his life and ensure the survival of the Lion Clan.

But the life or death of the lions is none of his concern.

He didn't believe that everything the Lion King did was for the sake of his people.

Just listen to these words, don't take them too seriously.

"So..." Alduin said coldly.

"Therefore, I cannot die."

The Lion King spoke calmly, without any emotion.

"Dragon, shall we make a deal?" the Lion King continued.

Auduin's vertical pupils narrowed slightly.

Transactions, yet another transaction...

The wolf king demanded an equal exchange, and so did this old lion king, who was nearly petrified.

These old folks who have lived for hundreds of years are all the same at heart; they won't act until they see a clear benefit.

"Tell me about it." Auduin neither refused nor agreed.

The Lion King didn't speak immediately. He looked down at his petrified palm and remained silent for a moment.

"The Wilderness Emblem," he finally spoke, "retrieve the Wilderness Emblem for me."

Auduin's vertical pupils narrowed slightly. "You want me to go and die?"

"I'm not sending you to your death." The Lion King raised his head, and Alduin's image was reflected in his cloudy right eye.

"The four emblems share the same origin. As long as you possess other stone emblems, you can touch the Desolate Ridge Emblem. I can lend you a portion of the power of the Cracked Rock Emblem to keep you conscious in the Desolate Ridge Mountain."

Auduin didn't respond; he was waiting for the Lion King to state more conditions.

"Enter the desolate hills with the power of the Cracked Rock Emblem, find the Desolate Ridge Emblem, and bring it back."

The Lion King raised his right arm, his petrified fingers slowly pointing at Alduin. "In exchange, I'll help you retrieve the Rock Emblem from the Wolf King."

"How are you going to get it back, with your dying body?" Alduin mocked.

"The Wolf King owes me a favor." The Lion King shook his head without further explanation.

Auduin stared at the Lion King, remaining silent for a long time.

He didn't care how the Lion King got the Rock Emblem back from the Wolf King—whether it was a favor or a deception.

This old lion has his own calculations and plans.

"Alright." Alduin stood up. "How do I borrow the power of the Rockbreaker Emblem?"

"Come closer to me."

Auduin stepped forward and stopped in front of the stone seat, but his body was tense and he remained vigilant.

The Lion King raised his right arm, his petrified fingers reaching towards his forehead, a grayish-white light gathering at his fingertips.

"Don't move."

The moment his fingers touched his forehead, Alduin felt a heavy pressure, but it only lasted for a moment before he returned to normal.

He took a step back and stretched his body. He still felt heavy, but it didn't affect his movements.

The grayish-white markings on his forehead were hidden beneath the scales and were almost invisible.

"Alright." The Lion King withdrew his arm, his voice weaker than before. "The earthquake power of the Rock Rift Emblem has been left in your body. It will protect you from being devoured by the power of slumber in the desolate mountains, but only for seven days."

"Seven days?"

"You must find the Wilderness Emblem within seven days and bring it back. If you exceed seven days, the emblem will lose its power, and you will sleep there forever."

Alduin asked no more questions and turned to walk out of the altar.

Silence returned to the place.

The Lion King stared in the direction Alduin had left, his right eye slightly narrowed, lost in thought.

Auduin's figure disappeared into the wind and snow, and the entrance to the ancient rock altar grew farther and farther away behind him.

He gave a cold laugh.

Favor?

What human kindness could an old man trapped in the altar waiting to die possibly have to move the wolf king?

Even if they did have some kind of relationship three hundred years ago, given the wolf king's stubborn nature of not acting until he sees the benefit, it would have been worn away by time.

But he didn't care about any of that.

His reason for seeking out the Lion King was to break the deadlock, and now he has found a way to do so: to find the Wilderness Emblem.

As for what happens after it's acquired, that's up to him to decide...

As for whether the Lion King saw through his scheme, he most likely did.

That old lion has lived for hundreds of years; it's not stupid.

But he still lent out the power of the Rockbreaker Emblem because he had no other choice.

Leon betrayed him, and with no one left in the Lion Clan, he could only gamble that Alduin would keep his word.

He spread his dragon wings, adjusted his direction in the wind and snow, and flew southeast.

That was the direction of the desolate Lingshan Mountain, and it was his only way out at the moment.