Chapter 2: Desert Battle

Ying Feiyu fully understood the terrifying combat strength of Earth Dragon Clan warriors wielding Summoned Beasts. Yet, as the Eagle Clan’s crown prince, he had not only boasted confidently before Mels and the others earlier but also boldly declared he could handle the threat emanating from the Five Clouds Cave.

Hardly had the battle begun when the Eagle Clan warriors were steadily driven back—ultimately forced to rely on Mels and his companions to clean up the mess. This dealt a severe blow to the prince’s pride, leaving him utterly humiliated. Consequently, even after Mels volunteered assistance, he remained hesitant.

“Your Highness, the Earth Dragon Clan’s combat prowess is overwhelming. If this continues, not only will the Eagle Clan warriors fail to repel them, but I fear that once the enemy gains the upper hand, even we will struggle to eliminate them! For the greater good, please order the Eagle Clan troops to withdraw immediately—and let us deal with the enemy!” Seeing the prince’s indecision, Mels spoke up again to urge him.

After hearing Mels, Ying Feiyu fell silent for a moment before sighing deeply and saying, “I never imagined the Five Clouds Cave would deploy Earth Dragon Clan warriors. My Eagle Clan forces are indeed no match for them. Brother Mels—it seems we must trouble you to step in once more.”

Hearing Ying Feiyu finally agree to let them take the field, Mels felt brief relief. After offering a few words of reassurance, he swiftly led Sha Luo and Akafir out of the command post and charged toward the northwestern battlefield.

On the battlefield, the Eagle Clan forces teetered on the brink of collapse. Only their strict discipline prevented outright flight; all they could do was continuously evade the Earth Lizards’ assaults. These creatures were cunning—whenever Eagle Clan warriors prepared to counterattack, they burrowed underground, only to reappear suddenly on the surface when everyone was disoriented, wreaking havoc.

“Stop!” Rushing onto the scene and seeing the ground littered with casualties, Mels surged with fury and shouted to halt the slaughter.

“Third Brother—fall back!” Hearing the Qi-infused power in Mels’s voice and spotting several Lion-Tiger Clan Sub-Humans appearing, Long Yi instantly realized Mels and his companions were the targets of his mission. He immediately recalled Long San—who was still engaged in relentless slaughter—to prevent him from being ambushed and injured by Mels and the others.

Though Long San was bloodthirsty to the point of madness, he dared not disobey Long Yi’s orders. Upon hearing his leader’s call, he reluctantly commanded his Earth Lizard to return and walked back to stand beside Long Yi, glaring furiously at Mels for interrupting his rampage.

“Evacuate the wounded warriors to the command post. Leave this place to us,” Mels told the Eagle Clan soldiers.

Though brave, the warriors were also apprehensive facing an overwhelmingly superior foe. Upon hearing Mels’s words, the surviving dozen Eagle Clan warriors immediately gathered their injured comrades, offered hurried apologies, and withdrew.

Watching the Eagle Clan forces retreat, Long Yi made no move to pursue them to the end. He simply stood silently, observing as Mels and his companions assisted the evacuation—making no attempt to interfere.

After a short while, once most of the mobile Eagle Clan warriors had been evacuated, the furious Mels finally turned to face Long Yi.

Seeing the blazing flames of rage in Mels’s eyes, Long Yi suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. Hurriedly masking his unease, he spoke: “Are you the expert from the Lion-Tiger Clan—the human who has repeatedly interfered in the Five Clouds Cave’s affairs?”

Initially, Mels had loathed these five Earth Dragon Clan Sub-Humans for their brutal slaughter of the Eagle Clan and was determined to make them pay. Yet upon hearing Long Yi’s words, he suddenly realized the situation was far more complex than he’d imagined. These five warriors already knew he was human—and this time, they had come specifically for him!

“That’s right—we *are* humans. But we’re not from the Federation Continent!” After brief consideration, Mels admitted frankly.

“A man of honor indeed! Since you speak so openly, we shall likewise state our purpose. We five brothers share the surname ‘Long,’ with our birth order as our given names. I am Long Yi; these are my brothers—Long Er, Long San, Long Si, and Long Wu. Your repeated interference in the Five Clouds Cave’s affairs originally concerned us not at all. However, the fact that you—humans—are meddling in Sub-Human affairs has prompted ‘the Master’ to decree your disappearance from the Sub-Human world! I merely follow orders—and wish no unnecessary conflict. Surrender peacefully, and I guarantee not a single hair on your heads shall be harmed before you meet the Master!” Long Yi declared arrogantly.

Upon hearing Long Yi’s overbearing, haughty speech, Mels burst into furious laughter: “Hahaha… Expecting us to surrender without a fight—based solely on *you*? Based solely on those underwhelming Summoned Beasts in your hands? That’s nothing but a fool’s fantasy! Hmph—originally, we held no grudge, bore no need to cross swords. But based purely on your wanton slaughter of the Eagle Clan warriors just now—I will *absolutely* not let you off today!”

“Fine, then let’s settle this with skill! Third Brother—you go first and take them on.” Long Yi was straightforward. Seeing Mels and the others had no intention of surrendering, he uttered no further words—and immediately issued the attack order.

Long San was a battle-crazed maniac who understood nothing but combat. Hearing his leader issue another command, he leapt forward excitedly—his grotesque Earth Lizard swaying its head proudly beside him.

Seeing the very culprit responsible for slaughtering the Eagle Clan warriors, Mels surged with fury—just as he stepped forward to engage, Sha Luo suddenly pulled him back. She spoke firmly: “Leave this minor skirmish to me.” Then, using voice transmission, she advised Mels: “All five of them wield Summoned Beasts. There are only three of us—and Akafir cannot yet summon one. I’ll handle this one first. You must conserve your strength for stronger foes ahead!” Without waiting for Mels’s objection, Sha Luo charged forward.

“In my name, I summon my guardian holy beast—the Blue Witch, Kaji!” Chanting the incantation loudly, a human-sized Blue Witch materialized silently in midair: blue-skinned, clad only in short armor, wielding a trident, bearing bat-like wings on her back, and a slender tail extending from her hips.

The Blue Witch is a mid-to-upper-tier magical combat-type Summoned Beast—excelling in magical suppression and proficient in trident-based attacks, making her a formidable hybrid of magic and martial prowess. Yet, like all compatible-type Summoned Beasts trained in both disciplines, the Blue Witch cannot unleash the ultimate techniques of either pure magic or physical assault—limiting her overall power tier.

Primarily reliant on flight, the Blue Witch masters wind and water magic—both at mid-tier proficiency. For physical combat, her trident serves as her primary weapon. Though her innate strength is modest, combined with her sharp weapon, she remains far from negligible.

Sha Luo’s Kaji had undergone two evolutions—making her slightly stronger than a first-evolution Blue Witch. By summoning Kaji immediately, Sha Luo clearly intended to make a stunning impression—securing a decisive early victory to gain psychological advantage for subsequent battles.

Seeing the deep, near-blackish-blue hue of Blue Witch Kaji hovering in the air, Long Yi frowned faintly and used voice transmission to warn Long San: “Third Brother—don’t underestimate the opponent’s Summoned Beast. Remember: don’t charge recklessly. Make full use of the Earth Lizard’s strengths. Otherwise—if it truly fails—retreat. Second Brother will take over.”

Hearing Long Yi’s concern, Long San rolled his eyes—and without voice transmission, bellowed indignantly: “Big Brother, don’t worry! A Summoned Beast of *that* level isn’t even worth my attention! Just watch how my *treasure* tears her apart!” With that, he ignored Long Yi’s further warnings and roared: “Go!”

The Earth Lizard had been waiting impatiently. At its master’s command, it opened its mouth with a roar and charged toward Sha Luo and Kaji nearby—its six short legs churning furiously.

“Kaji—Strong Wind Technique!” Seeing the Earth Lizard charge at high speed, Sha Luo knew her Summoned Beast’s physical defense was low—and no match for such a brute in raw strength. She ordered Kaji to unleash a wind-magic attack.

At her master’s command, the petite, lovely Blue Witch rotated her body slightly—her spin accelerating until a whirlwind formed around her. Just as the Earth Lizard surged forward over thirty meters—leaving only twenty meters between itself and Sha Luo—Kaji abruptly halted her rotation. Yet the whirlwind persisted. With a mere wave of her hand, the vortex beside her shot forward—spinning directly toward the Earth Lizard struggling onward.

Whether due to arrogance or ignorance of the whirlwind’s power, Long San showed no intention of dodging as it approached. Instead, he urged the Earth Lizard relentlessly forward. In an instant, the high-speed vortex collided head-on with the Earth Lizard—a creature nearly five meters long and weighing several hundred kilograms—lifting it cleanly off the ground.

Only then did Long San’s expression shift to shock. Though he frantically tried commanding the Earth Lizard to stabilize itself, how could a creature airborne and devoid of magical ability maintain orientation? After brief, futile struggles, the Earth Lizard at the vortex’s center grew dizzy from spinning—and soon began rotating uncontrollably *with* the whirlwind.

Seeing her opening succeed, Sha Luo pressed her advantage immediately: “Kaji—Water Arrow Technique!”

At her command, Kaji used her tail to retrieve the trident, then formed a water-element seal with both hands—her lips trembling as if chanting an incantation. In moments, countless shimmering blue water orbs appeared around her. Guided by Kaji’s pointing hands—aimed at the Earth Lizard trapped at the distant vortex’s center—the orbs transformed into conical, dazzling water arrows that whistled through the air—striking the Earth Lizard relentlessly, still unable to escape the vortex.

The vortex binding the Earth Lizard dissipated the instant the water arrows arrived. The rapidly spinning creature plummeted downward—yet before it struck the ground, hundreds of water arrows—like steel needles drawn to a magnet—pierced its body in rapid succession!

Amid a barrage of sharp impacts, the Earth Lizard flew dozens of meters away like a kite severed from its string. Only when it landed at Long San’s feet did the final water arrow vanish from its body!

Yet this assault inflicted minimal damage. Though Sha Luo’s barrage caused considerable pain, the Earth Lizard’s steel-like hide remained unbroken.

Enraged, the Earth Lizard regained consciousness from the impact, raised its head, and roared skyward—then, without Long San’s command, burrowed into the earth and vanished without trace.

Mels, watching from the side, had initially thrilled at Sha Luo’s impressive start—but now anxiety gripped him. After all, Kaji could *not* withstand a direct hit from the Earth Lizard. At that moment, he saw no way for the little witch to force the creature back to the surface.

Helpless, Mels could only wait with mounting tension—heightening his vigilance while straining his ears to detect the Earth Lizard’s subterranean movements.

Though Mels burned with anxiety, Sha Luo remained calm and confident.

The moment the Earth Lizard vanished underground, Sha Luo leapt backward over ten meters—drew her longsword in a backhand motion—and gathered Qi energy into the blade. The silver-white sword emitted a faint aura. She shouted: “Kaji—prepare the Soaring Wind Split Projectile!” Then closed her eyes and stood motionless.

“Oh yeah—oh yeah oh yeah yeah…” Long San wasn’t foolish either. Spotting the sword aura flare on Sha Luo’s blade, he instantly grasped her intent—to locate the Earth Lizard’s hiding spot and blast it out with sword energy. Understanding this, he unleashed his hoarse, monstrous roar.

Yet this time, Long San gravely underestimated Sha Luo—a young woman born into a swordsmanship lineage. His Qi-infused roar disrupted her hearing—but fell short of shattering her judgment.

Frowning slightly, she listened intently—then suddenly shouted: “Get out here!” Swinging her arm, her longsword shot forward like lightning—plunging into the ground ten meters to her left-front.

As the sword struck earth, a thunderous explosion erupted—resembling an anti-gravity cannon blast. A crater ten meters wide blasted open. Amid flying dust, the Earth Lizard lay dazed in the pit—struck directly. Though Sha Luo’s sword hadn’t pierced its thick armor, it had clearly stunned it unconscious.

Before Long San could recover from shock, Kaji—who had hovered above, preparing—conjured six deep-blue orbs. Controlling them with her right hand while gripping the trident in her left, she silently completed her incantation—then hurled the trident toward the Earth Lizard, while the six orbs followed in perfect unison, descending together.

“Not good!” Long Yi, seeing the battle turn critically dire, shouted—and lunged forward to strike Kaji—when a flash of cyan light erupted before his eyes. Mels, longsword in hand, blocked his path with lightning speed.

“Interfering in a one-on-one duel?” Mels’s cold voice cut through the air. Though he held his sword without striking, Long Yi felt a bone-deep chill—and abandoned his impulse to rescue the Earth Lizard.

As Long Yi hesitated, Kaji’s trident and six orbs struck the Earth Lizard’s head. The trident struck dead-center, while the six orbs arranged themselves in a circle around it. Once fully enveloping the creature, all six orbs simultaneously discharged lightning-like radiance—relentlessly striking the Earth Lizard. Still groggy from its recent awakening, the beast couldn’t move under the immense pressure—only managing to open its maw and emit a deafening howl.

The trident spun ceaselessly, attempting to pierce the Earth Lizard’s steel-hard hide—while electric arcs from the six orbs inflicted excruciating pain. After a minute of desperate struggle, the Earth Lizard could endure no longer. With a final, agonized howl, its body exploded into countless fragments—just as the trident pierced through it! An earth-yellow, dragon-eye-sized orb tumbled from its shattered skull and rolled aside. Seeing it, Kaji shrieked with delight—shouting excitedly to Sha Luo.

“Alright—it’s yours.” Sha Luo smiled faintly and nodded. At her word, Kaji swooped down, snatched the orb, and popped it into her mouth. Almost instantly, golden light radiated from her entire body—moments later, her short armor had expanded into full-body battle armor.

Watching Kaji’s transformation after absorbing the Earth Lizard, Sha Luo felt no elation—only a trace of helplessness. After all, the Earth Lizard was an upper-tier Summoned Beast—and even its absorption failed to trigger the Blue Witch’s evolution. It was profoundly disappointing.

“Third Brother—are you alright?” Long Er’s voice rang out suddenly.

Mels turned—and saw Long San clutching his left arm in agony, blood seeping between his fingers. Mels knew: the Earth Lizard’s absorption meant Long San’s Summoning Gem had shattered. Such pain surpassed ordinary endurance.

“Sec… Second Brother—kill her to avenge me! Avenge me!” Long San pointed at Sha Luo, tears streaming from his eyes. Though bloodthirsty, he was a Summon Warrior—losing his Summoned Beast was a devastation beyond words.

Fully aware his younger brother was no saint—but still family—Long Er nodded solemnly. After murmuring comfort to Long San, he handed him to Long Si behind him—then strode forward and shouted at Sha Luo: “Though Third Brother slaughtered many Eagle Clan warriors—you shouldn’t have *utterly destroyed* his Summoned Beast! Since you enjoy absorbing others’ beasts—I’ll let you taste what it’s like to lose your own! Make your move. Let’s see—whose Summoned Beast is stronger: your Blue Witch… or my Flame Beast?”

Long Er’s words exuded supreme confidence—and an ironclad resolve to avenge his brother at any cost. Mels knew Sha Luo’s fiery temperament would compel her to accept the challenge angrily—and he couldn’t help worrying for her. Yet before she could speak, a loud laugh echoed from behind Mels and the others.

“Miss Sha Luo—you’ve already fought one battle, and the Blue Witch just absorbed the Earth Lizard—she needs rest. Let me take this one for you. If I happen to lose—you can avenge me later. How’s that?” Kaslo had rushed over upon hearing the news—and used tactful words to rein in the impulsive Sha Luo.

In truth, Sha Luo knew the Blue Witch needed time to digest the Earth Lizard’s power—and was in no condition for immediate combat. So she acquiesced—stepping obediently aside.

"Kaslo, the Flame Beast is the pre-evolution form of the Flame Tiger. Judging by the fact that its Flame Beast has already reached the level of cyan flames, it will soon evolve into a Flame Tiger. You must be extremely careful during the battle, ensuring your Summoned Beast isn't injured by the flames, otherwise..." Mels had never seen Kaslo's Summoned Beast and felt somewhat worried.

"Brother Mels, don't worry. Although I don't fight often, my Summoned Beast is not weak," Kaslo said with a smile.

After speaking, the smiling Kaslo took a few steps forward, then removed the golden silk glove he had always worn and never taken off. A crystal-clear green Summoning Gem appeared before everyone's eyes.

"In my name, I summon my guardian holy beast, the Two-headed Dragon, Gvardo and Mors!" Kaslo loudly chanted the summoning incantation. As his voice echoed across the land, a green radiance instantly enveloped the desert. Amidst this dazzling light, a dragon nearly eight meters long, with wings on its back, four limbs on the ground, and two heads on its neck, roared as it descended.

"It's actually the wind-element holy beast, the Two-headed Dragon!" Mels and Sha Luo stared in astonishment at the scene before them. Although they had long known that Kaslo's hidden strength meant his Summoned Beast would be extraordinary, they never imagined that the legendary Two-headed Dragon, long spoken of across the continent, would appear before their eyes.

The Two-headed Dragon, one of the eighteen holy beasts second only to the three divine beasts. Although Mels's foster father possessed a holy beast-level Flame Tiger, the Flame Tiger did not rank among the eighteen holy beasts. Like the three divine beasts, the eighteen holy beasts were passed down through bloodlines. Whether they died in battle or of natural causes, the eighteen holy beasts would be directly inherited by the next generation through blood relations. They did not require evolution; from the day the owner's power awakened, the eighteen holy beasts would maintain the same combat ability until the owner passed them on to the next generation.

The Two-headed Dragon was one of the six magical holy beasts of wind, fire, water, earth, light, and darkness, possessing the power to command the wind. In legends, the gales it brought could blow away mountains and darken the heavens. Aside from holy beasts of the same rank and the three divine beasts, no Summoned Beast could be its match! However, the Two-headed Dragon also had a fatal flaw...

"You brat, you've kept us locked away for so long, and only now do you think of letting us out?" The left head of the Two-headed Dragon, slightly darker in color, took a deep breath of air before suddenly turning back and speaking to Kaslo with a hint of anger.

"Gvardo, don't be so impatient. Haven't I let you out now?" Kaslo said with a smile.

"Exactly. Actually, it's fine if we don't come out. No fighting—such days are pretty good," the other head said.

"See, Mors agrees with me too," Kaslo continued, still smiling.

"Nonsense! Your father often took us around to fight back then—those were the good days! Who would have thought a tiger father would produce a dog son? When it came to you, you didn't even give us a chance to breathe fresh air! And you, Mors, you're so lazy to the bone. If this goes on, sooner or later, you'll sleep to death in the alternate dimension!" Gvardo roared furiously.

"Alright, alright, stop arguing. Haven't I let you out now?" Kaslo said with a grin.

"You're the worst!" Before Kaslo could feel smug, both dragons glared at him angrily.

Gvardo said, "Hmph, you only let us out because you're being hunted and only came to us for help when death was at your doorstep, right? Heh, too bad, I'm not in the mood to fight today. If you want to fight, let Mors help you."

Before Kaslo could turn his gaze to Mors, Mors had already shouted first, "Don't come to me for fighting. I'm not interested!"

Seeing this, Mels finally understood why everyone said the Two-headed Dragon had extraordinary combat abilities but was difficult to control. Judging by Kaslo's current behavior, he seemed completely unable to command the Two-headed Dragon's actions.

Long Er, who had been watching from the side, had also recovered from his initial shock. He thought to himself: What a close call! If I don't take this chance to deal with them, once the Two-headed Dragon starts fighting, even if all five of us brothers attack together, we'd have no chance of victory!

Thinking this, Long Er decided to go all out—first eliminate Kaslo, who could control the Two-headed Dragon, and then deal with the others slowly. Having made up his mind, he began quietly signaling the Flame Beast to prepare for battle through telepathy.

The pointless conversation between Kaslo and the Two-headed Dragon continued, while Sha Luo and Akafir watched the "war of words" between the human and the dragon with great interest. Only Mels noticed the Flame Beast cautiously advancing in small steps.

After observing for a moment, Mels was certain of the Flame Beast's intentions. Knowing that if he didn't act, Kaslo would surely fall victim to the enemy's scheme, Mels didn't hesitate any longer. He raised his arm and shouted loudly, "Little One, come out!"

Without a summoning incantation, another burst of green light appeared. Little One flew out, tracing a graceful arc in the air before stopping between the Flame Beast and Kaslo, disrupting Long Er's plan to ambush Kaslo.

Little One's appearance was strange. Not only did Long Er and the others not understand what kind of Summoned Beast Little One was, even Mels didn't know exactly what type it belonged to. Initially, Little One had looked like a low-level magical beast, a Slime, capable at most of emitting sounds that disrupted synchronization and spraying some acid.

Not long after, Little One evolved into a humanoid Slime, but its skills remained unchanged. After meeting the Summoned Beast Master, Little One underwent its first true evolution, becoming a dragon-shaped Summoned Beast about one meter long. However, even though its form changed and it gained the ability to fly, Little One still lacked powerful strength. It wasn't until recently, when Mels and Little One's wills fully merged, that it revealed its true power—so great that even Sol and Rek, who had always been stronger, envied it.

Seeing the strange-looking Summoned Beast before him, Long Er didn't dare to attack rashly. Essentially, a Summoned Beast was like its master's shadow—the stronger the master, the stronger the Summoned Beast.

Long Er had clearly seen Mels earlier stopping Long Yi's actions. He understood very well that if they fought based on their own strength alone, he was no match for Mels. Therefore, when Mels released the strangely shaped Little One, Long Er naturally chose to observe cautiously for a moment, determining the opponent's true strength before launching a corresponding attack.

However, before Long Er could observe carefully, the Two-headed Dragon Gvardo suddenly roared angrily at Kaslo, "Kaslo, with it here, you still woke us up? Fine, if you want to show off, show off to your heart's content!"

"I..." Kaslo looked at Gvardo blankly, not understanding why it had suddenly flown into a rage.

Before Kaslo could ask, the usually gentle Mors also said angrily, "Kaslo, this time you've gone too far! We may not be the strongest Summoned Beasts, but we don't need help from others to fight! Goodbye." As soon as Mors finished speaking, the Two-headed Dragon, without its master's command, transformed into a green light and returned to the Summoning Gem.

"This... Can someone tell me what exactly is going on?" Kaslo looked around in confusion.

No one knew why the Two-headed Dragon had suddenly left, but Long Er and the others breathed a huge sigh of relief. After all, if the Two-headed Dragon was unwilling to fight, their chances of victory increased.

While everyone was preoccupied with their own concerns, Long Yi suddenly stepped forward, stopping Long Er, who was about to test Little One, and said to Mels, "Are you the leader among the humans? I have a few words I'd like to say to you. Would you be willing to pause for a moment?"

Originally, after Sha Luo defeated Long San's Earth Lizard, the anger in Mels's heart had already lessened considerably. If not for the matter of the Eagle Clan warriors and Long Yi's earlier arrogant attitude, Mels wouldn't have wanted to engage in this inexplicable battle. Now, seeing the other side willing to stop, Mels decided to seize the opportunity: "You were the ones who wanted to fight, and now you're the ones who want to stop. Just say what you have to say directly. I have no interest in beating around the bush!"

Mels's words left no room at all, causing Long Yi's face to change color with anger. But for some reason, after a long moment, Long Yi actually suppressed the fury in his heart and still spoke unhurriedly, "I just want to ask why you came to the Sub-Humans' world?"

Hearing Long Yi's question and seeing his expression of suppressed anger, Mels didn't want to turn hostile right as the conversation began. So he dropped his mocking tone and calmly said, "First, we are not Federation humans. In a sense, we even have a great enmity with the Federation! Second, we didn't intentionally come to the Sub-Humans' world. We were attacked by a strange Sub-Humans unit and forcibly taken to a deserted prison! Third, we have no intention of staying long in the Sub-Humans' world. Our purpose in coming here is only to use the ancient space gate left behind to travel to the Federation continent and settle things with the humans there!"

Listening to Mels's words, Long Yi suddenly fell silent. After considering for a while, Long Yi raised his voice and said to Mels, "The intelligence we received differs somewhat from what you've said. I think there may be some misunderstanding between us. How about this: please wait here for three days. After three days, we'll give you an answer. Additionally, I can tell you that this place is merely a facility relic left behind by ancient Sub-Humans to monitor the seas around the Sub-Humans continent. It's not a space gate."

"What! Are you telling the truth? This isn't a space gate that can teleport us to the Federation?" Mels asked in surprise.

"I'm quite certain about this. Earlier, I noticed the mage among you trying to break the seal protecting the ruins. So if you don't trust us, I believe you'll definitely learn the truth in three days," Long Yi nodded in confirmation.

Hearing Long Yi's words, although Mels knew they weren't worthy of his trust, he also thought they had no reason to deceive him. Moreover, as Long Yi said, even if he were deceived, Sol would still give him the real answer in three days.

Considering that Long Yi and the others came from the Five Clouds Cave and had deep connections with the ancient Sub-Humans, if this wasn't a space gate, then Long Yi and the other Earth Dragon Clan Sub-Humans might very well be his only hope of leaving the Sub-Humans' world. After sorting out his thoughts, Mels decided to temporarily trust the other side to avoid completely losing contact with the Five Clouds Cave again.

"Alright, I'll wait here for three days. If you don't appear after three days, we'll find our own way to leave the Sub-Humans' world!" After a long silence, Mels finally nodded and agreed to Long Yi's request.

"In that case, we'll take our leave now. Whether we meet again as friends or foes will be up to fate!" Long Yi said with an unchanged expression. Together with Long Er, he helped Long San up and led the remaining two Earth Dragon Clan warriors as they flew away.

Watching the suddenly departing Earth Dragon Clan warriors, Mels suddenly felt that the Sub-Humans' world was even more complex than the human world. Here, there was not only advanced technology and ordinary Sub-Humans nations fighting for land and power, but also ancient Sub-Humans races wielding immense, mysterious power. In his confusion, a sense of foreboding gradually enveloped Mels's heart.

"Big brother, why are we leaving just like that? Are we just going to forget about third brother's loss?" Long Er, flying alongside, clearly didn't understand why his eldest brother had started strong but ended weak, showing a cowardly side in front of those detestable humans.

"You don't understand. Earlier, that Two-headed Dragon was one of the eighteen holy beasts. Before leaving, it said, 'With it here, you still summoned us out.' Think about it—what newly appeared creature was there at that time? Aside from the strange dragon-shaped Summoned Beast that human summoned, nothing else appeared! I believe the 'it' the Two-headed Dragon referred to is that strange Summoned Beast!

As one of the eighteen holy beasts, how many Summoned Beasts could move them? Among the eighteen holy beasts, aside from the Flame Demon Beast, the Steel Thunder Beast, and the Howling Death God, the Two-headed Dragon is the strongest. The Two-headed Dragon is famously a hardline Summoned Beast; even when facing a stronger Summoned Beast, it wouldn't back down. Yet, judging from its tone earlier, they clearly felt their strength couldn't compare to that strange dragon-shaped Summoned Beast, which is why they left angrily! If we rashly fought that Summoned Beast, I'm afraid more than just third brother would get hurt!" Long Yi said to Long Er with a deep frown.

"Even if that's true, we shouldn't have run away with third brother without even fighting! If the master finds out, we'll definitely be punished!" The younger Long Wu, hearing Long Yi's explanation, still expressed dissatisfaction.

"You're still young and don't understand many things! I gave them three days, but it's actually three days for us. I'll use these three days to return to the master's side and report everything, letting the master make the final judgment. Additionally, second brother, you need to go to Kafo and try to gather all the combat troops. I think if the master really orders us to eliminate these humans, having the combat troops will greatly increase our chances of victory.

Finally, fourth and fifth brothers, take third brother to the Five Clouds Cave. On one hand, treat third brother's injuries properly; on the other, you can use the Five Clouds Cave's intelligence network to carefully verify the origins of those humans. After all, we've been away from the Sub-Humans' world for too long, and we've fallen behind the times in many ways!" Long Yi gave separate orders.

"Yes!" Although each had their own thoughts, seeing Long Yi's serious expression, everyone knew they couldn't defy their eldest brother's wishes any longer. The five Earth Dragon Clan warriors, in this strange atmosphere, flew toward the direction of the Five Clouds Cave deep in the desert.

At this moment, Mels and the others were completely unaware that greater danger was approaching. After the Earth Dragon Clan warriors left, Kaslo returned to Sol's side, hoping to help him uncover the ruins' secrets within three days; Sha Luo worked with the Eagle Clan's medical team to treat the injured Eagle Clan warriors; Akafir returned to the command post with Mels, though while Mels discussed matters with Ying Feiyu, he was busy eating and drinking heartily.

On Mels's suggestion, Ying Feiyu withdrew most of the troops the next day but insisted on staying at the ruins himself. Although the usual noise was gone, the perimeter around the ruins remained heavily guarded. Everyone waited for time to pass, waiting for the message the Earth Dragon Clan warriors would bring back...