CHAPTER 424: CHAPTER 360 NINE-HEADED DRAGON RESEARCH INSTITUTE_2

At that time, there were no intelligent creatures in the swamp.

The Nine-Headed Dragon did not want to leave the swamp.

So, it mixed its own blood with mud and, releasing a tremendous power, created the Lizardmen.

That is why all Lizardmen have the blood of dragons.

The awakening of the Lizardmen’s elongated jaws proved this very point.

The Nine-Headed Dragon then taught the Lizardmen how to tame magical beasts and survive in the swamp.

It cared for the growth of the Lizardmen with the attentiveness of a father.

However, the Nine-Headed Dragon’s unauthorized creation of life angered the gods.

The gods demanded that the Nine-Headed Dragon destroy the Lizardmen, but it chose to defy the gods to protect them instead.

In the end, the Nine-Headed Dragon traded its life to the gods for the Lizardmen’s right to exist. Its body fell and turned into Blood Crown Mountain, eternally sheltering the Lizardmen.

If taken as just another myth, this story seems like a very common one fabricated by the Lizardmen, meant to highlight their uniqueness.

But when combined with the sight of the Nine-Headed Dragon pinned to the ground by a long spear in the underground cave, everything took on a terrifying significance.

It made Yan Xing involuntarily contemplate the unique mechanisms of this world.

All intelligent life forms, if one traces their ancestry back, must have appeared out of nowhere, created. The existence of God-given items and God-given Gold Coins implies this world has an energy and matter exchange system. Who created this system? And what exactly are the gods? Moreover, Chui Chui once said that the Divine Force produced when angels descend bears clear signs of artificial creation.

Forget it. I won’t think about it anymore. Speculations like these, without evidence or data, are meaningless. The deeper I think, the more I’ll just scare myself.

Since the Nine-Headed Dragon had been unearthed, answers could be sought from it.

The transport quickly landed in Heize City.

The city executed a curfew and lights-out policy during the night. Consequently, it was shrouded in darkness, obscuring its appearance.

Yan Xing, stepping off the plane, took the vertical elevator straight down without pause to the cave where the Nine-Headed Dragon was found.

Although Yan Xing had seen images and photos of this cave’s interior after returning to the Magic World from the real world, standing physically on the cave floor, he was still shocked by the sight before him.

The hill-sized Nine-Headed Dragon lay pinned to the ground by a Crystal Spear.

Crystal clusters, growing upside down from the ceiling, emitted light like chandeliers, illuminating the entire cave.

At this moment, alchemical robots brought in some equipment under Chui Chui’s command.

More than ten types of collection probes were aimed at the Nine-Headed Dragon, collecting data on detectable energy signatures.

Elves and Jackalman Shamans gathered around a makeshift conference table, poring over a diagram and discussing the starting point for their research on the Nine-Headed Dragon.

From their argumentative stances, it was clear they couldn’t convince one another.

After recovering from his shock, Yan Xing walked over to the conference table.

The Elves and Jackalman Shamans immediately made room for him.

"What were you all arguing about just now? From which angle do you intend to start your research on the Nine-Headed Dragon?"

The elderly Jackalman Shaman stood up, bowed to Yan Xing, and said, "Master... the Nine-Headed Dragon is the guardian of the Swamp Tribe. We should free it. With the Nine-Headed Dragon, the Swamp Tribe will surely become a powerful race."

Yan Xing grumbled inwardly, Never mind whether the Nine-Headed Dragon is the Swamp Tribe’s guardian. Even if it is, if we release it, where does that leave my status as Master?

Yan Xing addressed the group of Jackalmen, who seemed eager to rescue the Nine-Headed Dragon, "When the Nine-Headed Dragon was present, you Werewolves were still a branch of the Orc Race. It’s the guardian of the Swamp Tribe and the protector of the Lizardmen. What does it have to do with you Werewolves? Aren’t you afraid that after rescuing the Nine-Headed Dragon, it will drive all you Werewolves out of the swamp?"

Hearing Yan Xing’s words, the Jackalman Shamans shut their mouths.

Since childhood, the stories they had been told stated that the Nine-Headed Dragon was the guardian of the Swamp Tribe and that the Werewolves were part of the Swamp Tribe.

They naturally assumed that the Nine-Headed Dragon was also a guardian of the Werewolf Tribe.

But it wasn’t until Yan Xing ruthlessly pierced through this misconception that the Jackalmen realized the Nine-Headed Dragon they worshipped had, in fact, no connection to Werewolves at all.

So... should we save it or not? If we don’t, we’d be abandoning our faith. But if we do, what if it drives the Werewolves out?

Yan Xing knew that the Jackalmen had always been isolated within the Werewolf Tribe and were not particularly bright when it came to certain matters.

He guessed they wouldn’t come up with any constructive suggestions, so he turned to the Elves.

These Elves came from the Royal Court, following the Elf King’s orders to search for traces of a possible Nine-Headed Dragon in Thunderous Swamp.

The discovery of the Nine-Headed Dragon meant that despite knowing they were being held in confinement, these Elves showed no dissatisfaction.

All they thought about was starting research on the Nine-Headed Dragon as soon as possible.

They knew that the body of this Nine-Headed Dragon was much larger than the Golden Dragon corpse housed in the Elf King’s Royal Court.

According to their knowledge of the Dragon Clan, larger meant stronger.

The leading Elf Mage said to Yan Xing, "We believe that the crystal clusters above and this Crystal Spear that has impaled the Nine-Headed Dragon serve to suppress it, preventing it from awakening and regaining its strength. Without understanding the extent of the Nine-Headed Dragon’s threat, our research efforts should avoid damaging the magic circle here as much as possible. We hope to collect small samples of the Nine-Headed Dragon’s blood, skin, muscles, and scales to analyze its body’s alchemical value. This will also allow us to make an approximate assessment of the powers it possesses. We have studied... We have studied the corpse of a Golden Dragon, so we do have some understanding of dragons."

Now, that’s professionalism. First, figure out exactly what you’re dealing with, starting from the periphery, then move on to in-depth research. You Jackalman Shamans want to release the dragon right from the start; aren’t you afraid it might go berserk and not recognize anyone?

Chui Chui also thought the Elves’ starting point for research was feasible; after all, they had dealt with real dragons. Their professional capabilities were why it had invited them.

Of course, the Jackalman Shamans could not be excluded from the research projects.

The Elves would carry out the physical research on the Nine-Headed Dragon.

The Jackalman Shamans would study energy extraction from the Nine-Headed Dragon.

These Jackalman Shamans, even on the surface a kilometer away, could extract the Nine-Headed Dragon’s power to transform a Werewolf into a three-headed, six-armed creature.

Chui Chui also thought about using the Nine-Headed Dragon’s energy to build an energy reactor, providing a cheap, sustainable, and massive source of energy for the future development of the Eternal Domain.

Especially since the current Magic Weapons and subsequent super armaments were all significant energy consumers.

Yan Xing, following his own ideas, assigned the Elves and Jackalman Shamans their respective research directions.

He asked them to produce a list of required materials, with Chui Chui in charge of procuring and delivering them.

Finally, Yan Xing announced the establishment of the Nine-Headed Dragon Research Institute, assigning a secondary computational core from Chui Chui to specifically oversee the institute’s work and ensure safety.

All research had to prioritize safety above all else.

Projects with potential safety hazards were strictly prohibited, and any violations would be severely punished.

At the same time, Yan Xing announced an end to the underground confinement of institute members, allowing all members to move freely within the designated areas of Heize City, but all external communications had to be screened by Chui Chui.

The ever-busy Yan Xing did not waste any more time at the Nine-Headed Dragon site.

He left the underground and boarded the transport for his return.

Lying down, Yan Xing suddenly had a thought and said to Chui Chui, "According to Lizardman legend, their race was created by the Nine-Headed Dragon, indicating that the Nine-Headed Dragon possesses the ability to create life. Ironhead’s transformation from a normal Werewolf into such a powerful three-headed, six-armed Werewolf can’t be a simple progression or evolution. If the legends are based on factual evidence, the fact that the Nine-Headed Dragon created the Lizardmen suggests that it holds a power akin to that of the gods. I believe that is the real reason it was pinned down there. It touched upon rights only gods should have, mastering the divine power of creation."

Chui Chui couldn’t help but ask, "What are gods? Now that we’ve found the Nine-Headed Dragon, why haven’t they shown up?"

"How would I know? I’m going to sleep for a bit... Wake me up when we reach Eternal City."