Chapter 284: Chapter 285 No Way Forward


    The Mourning Dragon was terrifying by nature, a born preyer and hunter, always exploiting the weaknesses of creatures, inflicting fear, sowing panic and confusion, always beguiling and luring, leaving them isted and helpless.


    But the Mourning Dragons had their own weaknesses as well.


    They were not perfect beings; the Monarch Level strength of the Trickster Dragon was manifested in its ability to lead, which meant that more often than not, it stayed hidden among the Mourning Dragon horde, not directly engaging in battle.


    Not to mention the Ice Morning White Dragon, which had reached High Rank King Level, but even the Divine Green Holy Dragon, which had just consumed the Demon Awakening Fruit, could suppress it!


    The Divine Green Holy Dragon flew towards the Trickster Dragon, which agilely leaped about the mountain cliffs like a gazelle. The Green Saint Dragon, with wings unfurled, glided past, its dragon ws striking out at the Trickster Dragon.


    The rock cliffs crumbled instantaneously, the power of the Divine Green Holy Dragon equally terrifying, capable of disintegrating the incredibly hard rock facepletely.


    The Trickster Dragon frantically evaded, while the Divine Green Holy Dragon circled overhead like a mighty eagle, gaining an even more powerful speed. The dragon’s azure Holy Dragon wings and the ck Demon Dragon wings pped vigorously, and one could see the dragon ws, bolstered by the power of both forces, bing incrediblyrge—sorge that they could envelop an entire cliff face!


    “Boom!!!!!!!”


    This dive and w strike was even more exaggerated in its power, splitting the rock face in all directions, and the Trickster Dragon, unable to avoid it, suffered severe damage to its bones and muscles, tumbling towards the Sky Support Vines and the ancient trees.


    Seeing that the Trickster Dragon had already lost bnce in the air, the Ice Morning White Dragon let out a long chant.


    Suddenly, between the Sky Support Vine forest and the ancient trees, an ice mountain sprang up—not made of thick ice, but bristling with huge icicle spires!


    The Trickster Dragon fell, the ice spires piercing its body full of blood. In pain, it struggled free from the ice spires and tried to flee into the ancient forest.


    But the ancient trees in front of it suddenly came to life, transforming into Ancient Tree Demons one after another, which then mercilessly attacked the Trickster Dragon.


    Screams emanated from within the Forest Demon Guards as the Trickster Dragon’s struggles were all in vain. Without the powerful Shadow Funeral Dragon Army, the Trickster Dragon was just another weak creature among the mighty spirits of nature.


    Having dealt with the Trickster Dragon, Zhu Minng casually harvested its Soul Bead.


    The value of a Monarch-Level Soul Bead was not low, and Zhu Minng was now someone who knew how to live within his means.


    As for the other Mourning Dragons, there was no need to harvest their Soul Collecting Pearl Brewing one by one. They were only powerful because of the Demon Awakening Fruit and particrly fearsome due to the leadership of the Trickster Dragon. Zhu Minng had tried refining Soul Beads from a few Mourning Dragons before, and the quality was quite poor, simply a waste of his Spiritual Power.


    Of course, aside from the Trickster Dragon, there was another dragon whose Dragon Ball was extremely valuable—the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon.


    The Ancient Venom Fly Dragon was on itsst breath when Zhu Minng waited for a moment and collected its Soul Bead, feeling quite satisfied!


    The Soul Beads of the Trickster Dragon and the Ancient Venom Fly Dragon were both of very high quality. If ced in the hands of some auction merchants, they could fetch at least a hundred thousand to two hundred thousand gold coins.


    Such was always the price for Monarch-Level Soul Beads!


    While it was still early, Zhu Minng and Li Xinghua nned to venture deeper into the Ancient Ruins, certain that there must be treasures beyond just the Demon Awakening Fruit.


    After crossing the Floating Mountain cliffs, Zhu Minng discovered an evenrger and higher suspended cliff ahead!


    It was more apt to describe it as a mountain range rather than a cliff, except this range wasn’t lengthy, wrinkled, or ovepping like those on solid ground, but a solitary towering peak, its steep walls causing dizziness at a mere nce from every side!


    It was still the Sky Support Vines that hoisted the Giant Floating Cliff into the skies. However, this giant cliff mountain also appeared like a fortress adorned with various Ancient Vine Woods,pletely blocking the path ahead through the valley of the ruins.


    To proceed to the deeper parts of the ruins, they must pass over this Giant Cliff Mountain, but that was easier said than done, as the Sky Support Vines beneath harbored a massive poption of Stinging Demons!


    Beneath the Giant Cliff Mountainy the cold, insect-ridden nests. The Divine Green Holy Dragon couldn’t manipte the Sky Support Vines here, and they were even less equipped to deal with these ancient insect nests.


    “Seems like there’s no other path,” Li Xinghua said, a touch of disappointment in her voice.


    This was indeed part of the Ancient Ruins, but merely a sealed valley within the ruins. Clearly, the rest of the ruinsy beyond the other side of the Giant Floating Cliff.


    The spatial rift they’de through only led to this valley within the ruins.


    “Let’s head back the way we came. The ruins must be extensive, and there must be other entrances in different locations. We can ask the elders in Pear Blossom Gully or the explorers of the Tea-colored Ground; perhaps they know other clues about the ruins,” Zhu Minng suggested.


    The Ancient Ruins had more than one entrance. This rift was likely formed by chance and discovered by the Mourning Dragons nesting in Pear Blossom Gully, subsequently bing their secretir for propagation and expansion.


    Mourning Dragons are creatures from ancient times, as the Hu Family Siblings had mentioned—this Tea-colored Ground used to be the Mourning Dragons’ territory.


    “Hmm, that’s the only option,” Li Xinghua nodded.


    “The Hu Family should know something; after all, their parents and grandparents fought against the Mourning Dragons. I’m thinking, the Tea-colored Ground was once the territory of the Mourning Dragons, but their origins have always been mysterious. It’s possible that the Mourning Dragons actuallye from the Ancient Ruins. They might have found a crack in the ruins, crawled out from there, and then gued thisnd,” Zhu Minng mused.


    After pondering, Li Xinghua felt that Zhu Minng’s retroductive theory was quite usible.


    The abilities carried by Mourning Dragons were inherently strange, tinged with the murderous and wicked nature of ancient times, as if they had evolved through the fiercepetition of the most primal, chaotic, and ancient nature.


    “Without the Demon Awakening Fruit, the Mourning Dragon Army will be much easier to handle. The various strongholds in Pear Blossom Gully should be able to breathe a sigh of relief,” Li Xinghua asserted.


    Zhu Minng had already taken all the Demon Awakening Fruits, and they had meticulously inspected these ancient ruins beforehand; only in that area underneath the Sky Support Vines were the Demon Awakening Fruits found, nowhere else.


    “Hmph, after resting for a while, I will strike at theirir and eradicate them all!” Zhu Minng dered.


    Having grasped the information on the Mourning Dragons, Zhu Minng realized these grotesque creatures weren’t as fearsome as he had imagined!


    Firstly, Mourning Dragons obeyed the Trickster Dragons, meaning that identifying the Trickster Dragons before battle would disband the Mourning Dragon Army into disarray.


    The same held for the Bat Wing Predatory Dragons. Their strong, coordinated, and well-trained hunting behaviors were inseparable from their Mourning Dragon Leader!