Red Dragon seeks his position in both realms.

The golden light inside the dragon's nest slowly embedded itself into the ground, and that little bit of gold disappeared.

Winters put away the "Great Sun Earth Buddhist Scripture," his golden eyes narrowed slightly, and he looked toward the entrance to the nest.

Heavy footsteps approached from afar, and Walker, the gnoll, walked in with a hunched back and his head down.

Upon entering, Walker performed a somewhat unorthodox salute, then knelt on one knee with his right hand on his chest.

"Lord True Dragon."

His voice was calm and steady, without revealing the fear and trembling he had shown before, and his obedient demeanor was impeccable.

But the body doesn't lie. Winters could feel that Walker's muscles were taut all over his body, and he carried a strong smell of blood.

It was as if a suppressed rage was hidden beneath the fur.

"Looks like you're not convinced, huh!"

After Winters waited for him to finish his greetings, he originally wanted to directly question him about his presumptuous act of asking for a reward, but the words he was about to say came back to him.

The golden vertical pupils swept over Walker's tense body, accurately capturing the aura of someone who had just been promoted to a higher professional level.

Walker the Gnoll has been promoted!

"No wonder, so he's been promoted to Level 5 Gnoll Warlord, which gives him confidence."

Winters involuntarily let out a sneer.

"No wonder he dared to demand the blessing of dragon blood; it turns out he wanted to advance. In his eyes, advancing five levels meant he was now on par with me."

Winters' original murderous intent greatly diminished, and he even became somewhat expectant and inquisitive.

How could an unknown jackal who had just been promoted to the fourth level of warlord, with neither rare spiritual treasures nor professional mentors to impart experience, break through to the fifth level so quickly?

It's obvious that he has a secret.

So Winters became very interested and wanted to find out what gave him such courage.

Walker lowered his head and heard the red dragon's sneer. He then lowered his head even further, thinking that the red dragon was displeased and about to get angry.

But after waiting for a long time, Walker did not receive the reprimand he had expected. The dragon's nest was silent, and the atmosphere gradually became oppressive.

After waiting for a while, Walker finally couldn't resist and slowly raised his head to look at the red dragon.

As he looked up, Walker's eerie green eyes met Winters's golden vertical pupils.

The instant they met, Walker quickly lowered his head, no longer daring to look, his arrogance diminished considerably, and his tone became respectful:

"My Lord, I have come to report two things."

Winters did not respond. After waiting for a moment, Walker took this as Winters' tacit approval and continued:

"First, we reported the threat posed by the beast-like leopard on the outskirts of our territory. Recently, that beast-like leopard has become increasingly rampant, and has already caused the deaths of two of our young and strong jackal-men."

"I have also fought this beast-like leopard, but it was probably around level six, and I was no match for it..."

Walker paused again, his tone becoming more earnest:

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"Therefore, I humbly request my master to bestow upon me the blessing of dragon blood, transforming me into a dragon-blooded jackal to enhance my strength and protect my territory."

"Besides, the master is already five years old and will soon enter a period of slumber. When the territory is without a master, the situation will be even more dangerous."

That's why I dared to beg my master for the blessing of dragon blood, so that in the event of a powerful external enemy attack, I can protect the dragon's nest and defend my master!

His remarks were powerful, passionate, and deeply moving.

But this gnoll Walker only joined his territory two days ago, how could he be so loyal?

And how did he know that Zhilong would enter his first dormant period at the end of the fifth year?

Logically speaking, it would be impossible for ignorant creatures like gnolls to possess such knowledge of the dragon race.

Moreover, his "loyal dog" remarks carried an air of unwavering confidence, as if he had Winters completely under his control.

It's as if to say, "There are level six beast-like leopards outside the territory, and you are about to fall into a deep sleep. Only I can protect you. You must bless me with dragon blood!"

This is the last thing Winters can tolerate!

Normally, Winters would have already breathed dragon's breath into his face, burning this arrogant gnoll to ashes.

But at this moment, Winters patiently opened his dragon mouth and said slowly:

"You've only been in my territory for a few days, but you're already so loyal. You're such a loyal and obedient dog!"

Before Walker could react, Winters changed the subject:

"However, I remember you were only level four two days ago, how come you've become a level five gnoll today?"

Walker, however, did not show any shock or surprise. Instead, he puffed out his chest and said proudly:

"My lord, that's the result of my exceptional talent, honing my skills day and night, and gaining enlightenment in the midst of battle. I was lucky to break through to the fifth level. I was lucky, very lucky."

Although the word "lucky" was used in his words, his tone was quite smug, and he made no attempt to hide his pride.

Winters remained silent, neither expressing dissatisfaction nor praising him.

But in Walker's eyes, this silence was a sign of the Red Dragon's compromise; it was wary of his rapid growth in strength, which was why it remained silent.

The longer he remained silent, the more he felt that the red dragon was weighing the pros and cons and showing weakness. The flames that were about to go out when facing the dragon's eyes were reignited.

"My lord, I am not boasting."

Walker straightened his back and spoke in a firmer tone:

"Currently, in this territory, only you and I are at level five; the highest strength of others is no more than level three."

If, during your slumber, that beastly leopard suddenly goes berserk and attacks your territory, your subordinates will have to step in to protect it.

"With the blessing of the dragon's blood, my strength will increase further, and I will be able to resist this beast-like leopard more effectively."

He spoke with increasing confidence, as if he were the pillar of the territory, implying that Winters must give him the dragon's blood and bless him.

Winters didn't speak, his eyes growing increasingly mocking, as if watching monkeys perform on stage.

Strands of Pleiades magic power had already quietly dissipated the moment he asked the question, slowly enveloping Walker like an invisible veil.

The 'time bomb' that had long been planted in his body slowly spread out, covering every part of his body.

Walker had no magical talent and almost no perception of magic power. He continued to boast to Winters about how great he was, completely unaware of what was happening.

Winters's mind followed the magic power, sweeping over Walker's bones, flesh, and internal organs inch by inch.

Walker's career advancement is real and not faked; this can be felt from the life level.

Walker's body revealed a deficiency of vital energy and blood, a deficiency so extreme that it was already a state of overdraft.

Until the magic swept across Walker's left claw—where he wore an inconspicuous black ring, a level two magic ring.

This level-two black ring was hidden beneath the gnoll's thick fur, making it completely invisible to the naked eye.

When Winters's magic touched the ring, a cold and evil aura flashed by.

"This feeling... I feel like I've experienced it somewhere before."

Winters frowned, and memories from the dragon race's heritage flooded back.

It smells like the devil!

There's also the aura of sealing magic!

This ring seals away a demon!

The devil is the representative of the lawful evil camp. They are particularly good at bewitching people's hearts and minds, and like to use contracts as bait to lure living beings into depravity and offer up their pure souls.

In human folk songs and stories, the appearance of a demon often signifies the coming of disaster.

At the same time, the devil and the demon are enemies, and bloody battles often break out between them.

"So he made a deal with the devil, exchanging some kind of price for a promotion. No wonder he was so arrogant."

The devil's deals are always based on equal exchange, yet they are fraught with hidden treachery. He gives you power today, but you will repay him a hundredfold tomorrow.

Moreover, the demon sealed in this level-two ring probably isn't very powerful, otherwise it wouldn't have been sealed away.

Having figured out the cause and effect, Winters looked at Walker, who was still spitting and spouting nonsense, and revealed a mouthful of sharp teeth, smiling meaningfully.

Walker was getting into the conversation when he suddenly saw the red dragon grinning at him. His heart sank, and he had a bad feeling. A strange chill crept into his bones.

"Master...you?"

Old Man —

The Pleiades magic covering Walker inside and out instantly manifested, with hundreds of golden chains wrapped around his body, especially noticeable on Walker's chest.

Following the method described in the Mahavairocana Sutra, Winters violently infused Walker with the power of the Pleiades.

This move is aimed at turning Walker directly into Fukuda!

"Didn't you want power?"

Winters remained indifferent, and all of Dragon's words exploded in Walker's ears:

"I bestow upon you an extraordinary opportunity, more precious than the blessing of dragon's blood!"