Dragon Tamer

He took a sip of tea before slowly making his decision.

“Very well, we do have an extremely old Phoenix Nest in our treasure pavilion, and over these years I’ve saved up quite a bit. When the time comes, I’ll exchange it for you!” Great Tutor Lin Zhao nodded and took out paper and pen, prepared to write an IOU.

“Great Tutor, there’s no need for an IOU. I still trust your character,” Zhu Minglang said with a smile.

Great Tutor Lin Zhao also smiled and said, “There won’t be too many people traveling with us this time, so Mr. Zhu need not worry about his identity being revealed.”

Zhu Minglang nodded.

…

After the agreement, Zhu Minglang leisurely made his way back to his residence.

The students were all out, seemingly celebrating their successful enrollment into a branch of the academy.

Zhu Minglang felt he was a somewhat complex person.

That is, when it was time to be idle, he could bask in all the afternoon sun every day, then slowly enjoy a dinner that suited his taste, and at night, light a lamp to read for a while. The day would pass by so comfortably.

When it was time to be diligent, he could also dive headfirst into cultivation, with his mind full of ideas on how to break through and how to make his dragon beasts stronger.

However, with Little White, Big Black Tooth, and the Sword Spirit Dragon still inside their dragon cocoons, and Little Qingzhuo in the growth stage digesting spiritual objects and maintaining sleep, Zhu Minglang didn’t know where to start even if he wanted to be diligent.

So idle!

In the past, he was overwhelmed by the task of procuring food and spiritual sustenance for several dragons.

Now, however, he had an abundance of time, seemingly with nothing else to do but to read books and supplement his knowledge as a Dragon Shepherd.

“Go see if there are any nice Juvenile Spirits, raise one,” Zhu Minglang finally decided.

There were still a few days before the departure to the distant seas, and the preparation work was naturally for Lin Zhao to do, with Zhu Minglang just needing to follow when the time came.

…

Neon Sea possessed an extremely rich resource of Juvenile Spirits.

Especially at the middle section of White Heavenly Street, where there were countless halls, all used for the trade of rather outstanding dragon beasts.

Zhu Minglang walked into the exhibition hall and saw many special little creatures displayed before him; some were kept in beautiful cages, some were tethered with leather straps, and many were quite friendly with people, moving around the hall as freely as cats and dogs.

“Brother, dare to try something exciting?” Luo Shaoyan glanced around with boredom, still feeling that such places were not very interesting.

Zhu Minglang had casually asked Luo Shaoyan when he was drinking tea with Lin Zhao.

What Zhu Minglang had not expected was that the Luo Mountain Sect that Luo Shaoyan mentioned was indeed a very ancient and famous family from Sect Forest.

Their sect never recruited disciples externally, and their exceedingly famous dragon recognizing techniques were not commonly taught outside, only central family members would learn them.

Mr. Jinli repeatedly reminded Zhu Minglang that he must learn the dragon recognizing techniques.

“`

Many extraordinary and infinitely potential creatures inhabit this world; through natural selection, some turn into demons or saints, while others may brush against the threshold of the Dragon Gate and transform into dragons.

If a Dragon Shepherd has a discerning eye and subjugates those unattended Spirit Beasts before their metamorphosis, the rewards can be astounding.

After all, even a Holy Spirit like the Ten-thousand-year Phoenix actually starts as a Juvenile Spirit.

While one may not be an expert in Dragon recognizing techniques, it is essential to have at least a basic understanding.

To this end, Zhu Minglang specifically sought out Luo Shaoyan, asking him to demonstrate what Dragon recognizing techniques were, hoping to learn something himself.

“I’m here to seriously learn, not to seek pleasure,” Zhu Minglang said with an earnest expression.

Of course, if the place Luo Shaoyan mentioned was truly remarkable, Zhu Minglang wasn’t opposed to checking it out, but only as a spectator.

“Brother, where is your mind wandering? The excitement I’m talking about is dragon gambling,” Luo Shaoyan said.

“Dragon gambling??” Zhu Minglang had indeed heard of this activity while in the Imperial City.

It was not something the common folk could afford to play.

It was particularly favored by wealthy nobles with deep pockets.

It was said that some rich merchants often went bankrupt trying to please important figures in the dragon gambling circles.

“How much money do you have on hand? If you have enough, I’ll take you to play once. It’s absolutely thrilling. In that setting, the wealth of an entire nation might be put at stake, and it’s common to see nobles from Island Nations leaving with nothing but their bare bottoms, hahaha,” Luo Shaoyan said.

“Alright, let’s go and see,” Zhu Minglang said, intrigued.

Although he came from a prestigious Family Door and had been told more than once that Zhu Gate was the wealthiest, having practiced swordsmanship in the mountains since a young age, Zhu Minglang had rarely experienced luxury and had no chance to indulge after returning to the Imperial City.

Luo Shaoyan seemed like the sort who was a regular in such places.

“With dragon gambling, strength is one factor, and luck is also important, but you must be psychologically prepared because everyone plays big,” Luo Shaoyan stressed again.

“No worries, playing small would be no fun,” Zhu Minglang replied.

Zhu Minglang had really come to disdain ordinary dragons at this point.

If he were to gamble, he wanted a dragon that was a once-in-a-lifetime marvel!

…

Following Luo Shaoyan, Zhu Minglang walked towards a palace in the midst of Man City, with opulence surpassing that of royal palaces of large nations. Even the most ordinary women working there were breathtakingly beautiful.

Passing a spring adorned with golden Lotus Lanterns, Zhu Minglang saw many well-dressed, affluent individuals.

At first glance, it looked like an extremely high-end party, but it was clear that flirting and mingling were not on the minds of the attendees.

“See that? That’s the queen of the Country of Xiayu, one of the owners here. At one point, people thought she was nothing but a crafty ruler using her skills to amass wealth on a remote island. But after she tamed the Dragon King and obliterated a Hunter of the Nation that tried to annex her country, all such rumors were squashed,” Luo Shaoyan, who seemed well-acquainted with the celebrities, pointed out to Zhu Minglang.

Zhu Minglang looked over and saw a woman in an alluring, figure-hugging brocade gown, dressed no differently than any other woman of great beauty in a royal palace. However, her head adorned with a colorful crown and cradling a Holy Dragon, she commanded a presence that deterred any casual teasing.

“I thank all the distinguished guests for coming. Tonight we will present Dragon Eggs for your perusal. I can reveal a little secret: one of the eggs is a Thunder Dragon Egg recently obtained from the well of Lie Demon Mountain. None of the Dragon Eggs have been tampered with; they are perfectly preserved as soon as they are collected. The Thunder Dragon is a king among dragons, and its offspring would be a Thunder Flood Dragon, or a true heir of the Thunder. We can’t make an accurate judgment, so it’s up to the guests to use their vision,” the queen of the Country of Xiayu announced.