Naturally, the soldiers guarding the city walls would never allow the children to approach the Eastern Sea Azure Dragon. In the dragon's eyes, the children were incredibly tiny, and a careless movement could easily crush them.
Yet the Azure Dragon possessed a remarkable gift: it could understand human language. Using its psychic influence, it lifted the children from within the walls, wrapping them safely in an invisible aura as it carried them onto its back. The dragon even shifted its own scales to form a wide platform, providing a safe space for the children to sit and play.
The soldiers on the walls watched helplessly as the Azure Dragon doted on the children. Over the following months, the kids slowly recovered from the grief of losing their parents. Some even began calling the Azure Dragon "Papa" or "Mama."
The dragon, in turn, cherished every one of them.
Through its soul sensing, the Azure Dragon eventually detected Rowan. However, upon seeing him, it tilted its head in confusion. Rowan's aura was so different from before that the dragon couldn't immediately recognize him. This was hardly surprising. Rowan now existed as part of the Shadow Clan a being of pure energy, without a traditional soul. His consciousness resided within his core, which itself existed within his main body, far removed from the physical world.
"Have you even forgotten me? It hasn't been that long!" Rowan said, looking at the Azure Dragon with mock irritation.
At the familiar voice, the dragon's eyes lit up with recognition. It carefully placed the children back on the city wall and lowered its massive head before Rowan in a gesture of reverence and joy.
Rowan smiled, gently wiping away the soul imprint he had previously left on the Azure Dragon's brain. Freed from the imprint, the dragon's mind sharpened, yet the bond it had formed with humans remained. Even without Rowan's imprint, the Azure Dragon remained dedicated to protecting them.
"Brace yourself. This might hurt a little when I insert this into your brain," Rowan said, producing a chip no larger than a fingernail.
The Azure Dragon, trusting Rowan completely, nodded obediently. Using his psychic power, Rowan effortlessly opened the dragon's skull and placed the chip onto its brain. The chip spread countless tiny tendrils that integrated with the dragon's neural pathways.
Instantly, the dragon felt a searing pain radiate through its mind, roaring in agony. Its massive body twisted violently, nearly falling to the ground below.
Rowan immediately raised the terrain beneath the dragon with psychic force, lifting it into the sky. Tens of thousands of tons of dragon, suspended effortlessly. Rowan's psychic power had reached the peak of Stellar Rank Nine, with a soul amplification of 150, far surpassing the typical Cosmic Rank. Lifting such a massive creature was no challenge at all.
Its eyes rolled frantically as the pain persisted. After several minutes, the Azure Dragon's body finally stilled.
"Looks like the integration succeeded. You can try speaking now. The chip has encoded both universal and human languages," Rowan said calmly.
The chip, purchased earlier on Qiu Long Star, allowed monsters or pets to learn human language. Through special energy channels, they could replicate human speech and communicate normally with humans.
Now, the Azure Dragon's intelligence was on par with humans. Though its vocal anatomy was different, the chip bridged the gap, enabling full communication.
"Thank you, Master!" the Azure Dragon exclaimed, its words articulated perfectly through energy-formed vocal cords.
Rowan laughed. "You're welcome. You've reached Planetary Rank Nine. Soon, you'll break through. I plan to take you on a journey across the universe. Are you brave enough?"
The dragon's blood surged with excitement. Guarding the city was fulfilling, but as a monster, it craved battle. More than anything, it wanted to travel with Rowan and fight across the cosmos.
"I want to go, Master… please take me!" the dragon pleaded, its eyes gleaming.
Rowan laughed heartily. "Of course. I'll train you to surpass even the Celestial Space Beasts!"
Celestial Space Beasts were rare, formidable creatures of the universe. The Azure Dragon, though native to Earth, had also been indirectly affected by the ancestral influence of the Celestial Custodian. Humans had been the primary focus, but monsters, too, had been subtly enhanced.
"Rowan, training an Earth monster has no value. This beast's lineage is among the weakest of all cosmic creatures. Without a soul inheritance or special talent, it's strong only in defense," Babbata remarked, attempting to dissuade Rowan from wasting effort.
Rowan ignored him and asked, "Is there any potion that can quickly enhance a monster's bloodline?"
"There are," Babbata replied. "In the universe, there are potions to strengthen monster bloodlines. Your dragon's lineage ranks around the 17th or 18th tier. To elevate it, you'll need a high-tier monster serum as a base, then cultivate it to produce a blood serum that enhances weaker creatures."
Rowan inquired further, curious. "If the Golden Horn Beast on Earth had only reached Planetary Rank Nine, could the Azure Dragon defeat it?"
"Not a chance. The Golden Horn Beast's skin is thirty-five times harder, its speed five times faster, and its attack power nineteen times stronger. Even at Planetary Rank, Earth monsters can't compete with true Celestial Space Beasts," Babbata explained.
Rowan simply patted the Azure Dragon's neck. "Then we train. We'll soar across the universe together."
The dragon, overjoyed at the prospect, asked, "How is the specialized technique I learned coming along?"
Rowan had imparted a few inheritance techniques from the Golden Horn Beast. The dragon roared, and purple patterns shimmered across its body. Miraculously, it shrank visibly in size.
"By the heavens! The dragon learned the Golden Horn Beast's innate technique!" Babbata gasped.
The Azure Dragon's length compressed from five kilometers to sixteen hundred sixty-six meters, tripling its combat strength. A terrifying energy wave radiated outward, creating a massive vacuum in the surrounding clouds.
"Monster!" Babbata exclaimed, shocked that an Earth-born creature had mastered such a technique.
Rowan nodded in approval. "Excellent. You've clearly put in effort."
The dragon explained, "The technique was difficult, but I learned to control my skeletal density and energy to shrink my body. I mastered the first stage, though the second stage remains elusive."
Rowan was pleased. He also confirmed his suspicions: the ancestral influence had indeed subtly enhanced Earth's fauna, not just its humans.
"Babbata, take the Azure Dragon with us. Let's visit the Black Dragon Empire. I want to see if there's a way to quickly upgrade a monster's rank and where to obtain gene enhancement potions," Rowan said, already planning to cultivate the dragon into a Celestial Space Beast.
"Understood," Babbata replied. "The northern region of the Black Dragon Empire, Dragon Star, is a paradise for monster cultivation. There, humans have developed methods to control monsters, training them to fight alongside their riders. Some creatures are even stored in special containment rings, able to hold monsters over ten kilometers long. Prices are steep around five billion Black Dragon Coins but the monsters can live safely within."
Rowan smiled, already preparing for the journey with the Azure Dragon.