Chapter 208: Lu Chen Solely Obtains the Dragon Elixir [Combined Volume 2 – Please Subscribe!]

After accepting the lightsaber hilt from the Lone Ranger, Lu Chen wasted no time and immediately headed toward the second target on the treasure map.

In a dark, cramped space filled with countless floating fragments, Lu Chen spotted a massive mass of flesh and blood at a glance.

It was an elliptical flesh mass nearly ten meters in diameter; the outer layer was scorched black but still writhing.

Exposed fragments of bone etched with spirit runes crackled and arcs of electricity sparked wildly.

Even through his armor, Lu Chen could sense the indomitable vitality radiating from it.

“This must be the Dragon Core wrapped inside!” Golia asked excitedly.

“The dragon’s what… Could it really be that big?” she questioned.

“Which part of the dragon are you talking about? Be clear!” Lu Chen replied, exasperated but compelled to explain.

“This is the Dragon Core’s self-protective will. At the moment of the nuclear explosion, the surrounding flesh rapidly recoiled inward to ensure the Dragon Core remained intact. With this thing, maybe it’s possible to resurrect the Azure-winged Dragon. Twisted biologists can come up with anything.”

At that moment, the bluish arc glow of the fragmented bone spirit runes suddenly became rhythmic, emitting intermittent sounds.

“The Dragon Core is useless to you. If you give it to Irfan, he’ll pay you one million spirit stones!” The voice was faint, deep, and vast…

It was the old man!

One million spirit stones...

Not just Golia, but even Lu Chen felt thrilled upon hearing that.

“Who is Irfan?” Lu Chen asked cautiously.

The old man replied, “He’s the mecha Tyrannosaurus Rex battling Lunzi outside. The fight will soon conclude.”

“And who is Lunzi?”

“Don’t you know the name of the director of the Star Beast Park? Well, she dislikes her name and only allows people to call her ‘Director.’”

“And who are you?”

“You can call me Vincent. I used to be part of the Imperial Star Beast Laboratory but am now a traitor to the Empire… Your master once worked with me. She’s a genius among geniuses, and compared to her brilliance, I’m insignificant. Strictly speaking, I’m her master’s junior brother, so I’m her elder by tradition. By the ancient cultivation hierarchy, I would be your master’s great-uncle… Does that make sense to you?”

If it made sense, that would be a miracle!

Lu Chen gathered his thoughts. This old man was clearly trying to get close.

Right now, he should be cutting through the charred dragon meat to retrieve the Dragon Core and leave immediately.

But his curiosity about his genius master was too great.

So, while searching Vincent’s name online, he couldn’t help but ask, “Who is my master?”

“She’s called… hmm? I’ve actually forgotten her real name. No wonder you’re like this… In any case, she’s the woman who taught you the resonance method. After leaving the lab, she traveled the Pangu Corridor for a century and then vanished. I, this old immortal, am still alive, but such a legendary figure as her will never die.”

Lu Chen vaguely guessed who it was.

“Is she the woman who wears a travel hat with a gray crow perched on top?”

“Does she still like wearing that hat? But she does like raising crows, that’s true.”

Lady Pharrell—there was no mistaking it!

Meanwhile, Lu Chen narrowed down the old man's identity among thousands of Vincents online.

Okdovia Vincent, former professor at the Imperial Royal Academy of Truth, defected to the New Federation a century ago, then disappeared again. The Empire has placed a bounty of ten million spirit stones on him.

The wanted photo was from his teaching days at the academy.

Back then, he looked middle-aged, tall and lanky, with quite handsome features.

The bounty details mentioned his blood-spirit genes.

Beyond that, nothing else was known about Vincent.

There was no information online about the travel hat or the gray crow.

Even Vincent himself had forgotten her name.

His distant female master was too mysterious…

“So, you’re the one who created the Star Beasts?” Lu Chen asked again.

The old man chuckled dryly.

“No, although my skills are far inferior to your master’s casual play, I’m still a professional and wouldn’t stoop to creating these Star Beasts. I only sought to restore their human bodies and minds, like the Black Phoenix now.”

Lu Chen didn’t know much about the Black Phoenix but was certain she could transform into a normal human and had hijacked an information ship.

At this moment, no matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t hand over the Dragon Core to Irfan. That would be far too dangerous.

“Since you’re an elder, please don’t make things difficult for a young man like me. The Azure-winged Dragon tried to catch me, but my teammate triggered the nuke, and they both perished. I won’t sell him out. I have to keep this as a memento of the fallen Su Yan.”

The old man was silent for a moment, then smiled, saying, “Very well. See you on the Blizzard Route.”

The conversation ended; the spirit runes self-destructed, then burned away the charred flesh, revealing the Dragon Core wrapped in blood vessels and membranes.

He hadn’t made things difficult—in fact, he helped Lu Chen, as Lu Chen’s laser cannon might not have pierced the dragon meat’s defenses.

Golia suddenly lost interest in the Dragon Core and climbed back into the cockpit, questioning Lu Chen, “You idiot, that’s a million spirit stones! What are you thinking?”

Lu Chen took control of the Dragon Core and replied, “Such an obvious empty promise—can’t you tell?”

“But he’s your master’s friend. Would he lie to you?”

“Don’t rush. That old man carries a ten-million-spirit-stone bounty from the Empire. Sooner or later, I’ll catch him and get rich overnight.”

Golia was stunned, then gave Lu Chen a meaningful glance.

“Not bad. I like a kid like you who recognizes only spirit stones and disowns family!”

At this moment, Lu Chen finally saw the Dragon Core in full.

It wasn’t that large—only about the height of a person, with a pale blue-green exterior, stained with blood vessels and dark red to mossy green membranes, giving it a terrifying appearance.

Lu Chen used the mechanical ropes of his armor to tightly bind the Dragon Core, securing it with both hands.

Holding the heavy Dragon Core, Lu Chen turned and fled.

At the same time, he didn’t forget those who helped him; he opened his mic and thanked Centipede Man.

“Thank you, Shanti Peter. Without you and Su Yan, I couldn’t have gotten the Dragon Core. Don’t be afraid underground—I’ll find someone to dig you out.”

“Thank you, Su Yan. I’ll burn incense at your grave and offer some mechas.”

Centipede Man, who had given up fighting and entered dormancy awaiting rescue, was stirred awake by Lu Chen’s words, gritting his teeth.

“You despicable scoundrel… Give me the Dragon Core now! You don’t have a large-space storage device, but I have an ecological preservation cabinet. Bring it here, and we can sell it together. All the money goes to you—I just want fame and adventurer points!”

Golia couldn’t believe such people still existed in the universe.

“Looks like insect brains really are that dumb. Only an idiot would give it to you!”

Centipede Man added, “You’re wasting the Dragon Core like this. Let me out! We’ll help the Director win the war. Then you’ll get a lot more money, and the Dragon Core will be well preserved. I’ll become famous too.”

Lu Chen could see that Centipede Man genuinely wanted fame.

He probably also didn’t care much about money.

But since he tried to claim the Azure-winged Dragon alone from the start, he must have been eyeing the Dragon Core greedily.

Indeed, preserving the Dragon Core was a real issue.

Just then, Aili said, “Captain, I have a way to preserve the Dragon Core.”

Lu Chen finally relaxed and told Centipede Man, “Sorry, I have a genius Beast Tamer teammate. Preservation won’t be a problem. You better call your centipede dad to rescue you. It’s been a pleasure working with you—farewell!”

With that, Lu Chen infused his spiritual power into the Dragon Core, achieving near-complete stealth and instantly vanished without a trace.

Centipede Man was stunned, feeling like he had seen a ghost.

“Who cares? He’s already on the way!”

Lu Chen flew quietly through the dust-filled canyon.

Leaving the surface, distancing himself from both battlefields, he escaped the atmosphere through dust clouds from another direction.

He flew alone for a long time, successfully breaking through the encirclement and rendezvousing with the Leonin.

The smoothness of the process sent chills down his spine.

After all, his armor held the Dragon Core, and the stealth effect wasn’t very strong, yet no one noticed him.

The feeling was thrilling yet strange.

Everyone else was busy fighting and couldn’t pay attention to him, but perhaps some hidden powerful beings were silently watching.

Lu Chen felt an uneasy prickling all over.

Back on the Leonin, everyone disembarked from their armors and stowed the cat cage, cryo-pods, lightsaber hilt, and Dragon Core aboard the ship.

In the ship’s rear hold lay a massive insect scale.

The Leonin was fully loaded once more!

As Lu Chen prepared to leave, both battlefields were nearing their conclusions.

The mech dragon Irfan’s strength clearly exceeded the Director’s expectations, single-handedly devastating the entire First Fleet.

Seeing the Director’s steel skeleton body battered again, for some unknown reason, Lu Chen felt a twinge of sympathy for her.

Though those who raised re-evolved Star Beasts deserved no pity, he sensed that the Director and Governor Dayu truly loved the Star Beasts.

The most evil were the masterminds behind the Star Beast Project!

“Director, the Azure-winged Dragon and Su Yan perished together, Shanti Peter is trapped in the ruins, I have the Dragon Core and am already out. I’m preparing to leave. Do you have anything to say?”

The Director’s voice was lifeless, a serene acceptance nearing death.

“The Giant Beast Park has no future… Run for your life, young man.”

“Thank you!”

Lu Chen also felt that fleeing was the most important thing now.

In fact, he was already at full throttle, just short of engaging the warp drive.

He was so exhausted he didn’t even bother to stay cloaked, instead taking a healing pill to restore some spiritual power.

Inside the cockpit, Golia stared at the person-height Dragon Core, annoyed that Lu Chen had no intention of selling it.

“You and Aili have storage bags. You can’t just let the Dragon Core roll around the cockpit… It’s disgusting.”

Aili shook her head.

“Both storage bags have only one cubic meter of space, about the size of the cat cage. They can’t fit the Dragon Core.”

She reached out to touch the blood vessels and thin membrane on the Dragon Core’s surface, sensing its spiritual power and devising a preservation plan.

She finally understood how these Star Beasts grew.

“This Dragon Core formed from a juvenile. The mother has completely lost her human aspect.

I suspect that Star Beasts undergo re-evolutional breeding starting from the fertilized egg stage, growing in beast form and, through more scientific targeted feeding, gradually becoming Star Beasts.

Compared to normal humanoid re-evolution, becoming human-shaped is actually a later-stage cultivation process—like how humans in the pioneering era turned spirit beasts into demons.”

Lu Chen pondered.

“Seems like you and the Black Dragon’s re-evolution is clearly more advanced.”

Golia was lost in the complexity of it all but was certain about one thing:

“Biologists are all freaks.”

Aili didn’t know what to say and began applying various preservation herbs to the Dragon Core’s membrane.

“If the blood vessels and membranes are damaged, I can’t achieve full preservation. Now, with daily spiritual maintenance, maybe I can keep it for a month—that’s my limit.”

Lu Chen patted Aili’s head.

“Thanks for your hard work, Aili… Unfortunately, we still haven’t escaped danger.”

…

The Plum Rain Star Space Domain.

Battle for the Giant Wheel.

When forces are evenly matched, the bloodshed is the worst.

The Black Phoenix continuously incinerated warships while the Star Beasts surrounding the Giant Wheel were repeatedly struck by laser beams.

Until—

A massive Pegasus Star Beast ship burst into the battlefield!

Spirit power level: eighty-eight!

A snow-white red-maned steed with wings spanning hundreds of meters.

Its four legs tread the void as its beating wings unleashed a dense barrage of feathered arrows that darkened the sky, piercing through the remaining ships of both fleets.

“Director, the Guernica Beast Tamer Corps’ Third Fleet’s Archer has entered the battle. We are under arrow attack!”

The Director, seeing the situation was lost, immediately ordered:

“All personnel retreat from the battlefield!”

The remaining ships of the Second and Third Fleets turned and fled.

Above the white Pegasus’s head stood a middle-aged man in a loose hemp robe, white hair flowing, four-legged stance steady, bow drawn and arrow nocked.

He shot an arrow at the Black Phoenix!

The arrow moved like a light cone, instantaneously arriving and piercing the heart.

It transformed into numerous strands like mane ropes, completely binding the Black Phoenix’s massive body from within.

The black flames extinguished.

The Black Phoenix reverted to human form, struggling in pain.

The four-legged man atop the white horse said coldly:

“The Star Beast group may leave, but the Ancient Guli Vermilion Bird must join the Guernica Beast Tamer Corps.”

“You bastard—”

The more the Black Phoenix struggled, the more blood poured from her heart.

Inside the Giant Wheel’s cockpit, Teng Wanjun was bleeding.

“Don’t worry about me or Irfan. Let the Star Beasts board immediately and leave at once.”

Teng Wanjun and the giant ape in the cockpit obeyed.

On the other battlefield, the outcome had just been decided.

The mech dragon’s claws crushed the Director’s steel skeleton.

“I destroyed your body as a child; I will destroy you now… Never trust aliens, old hag.”

With that, Irfan tossed the remaining head into the Plum Rain Star’s ruins.

The Director was defeated; the surviving First Fleet scattered like frightened birds and was forced to withdraw.

Seeing this, the remaining warships of the Second and Third Fleets abandoned their attack on the Giant Wheel and withdrew from the Plum Rain Star Space Domain.

The Star Beast group had entirely boarded the Giant Wheel.

Irfan charged toward the Black Phoenix.

Halfway through, he received a message from Vincent:

“The Black Phoenix will be fine. I also need someone planted within the Guernica Beast Tamer Corps. Your mission is to bring the Giant Wheel back. The Empire’s checkpoint has closed—be careful.”

“And the Azure-winged Dragon?”

“Already dead, but the Dragon Core is intact and currently in a young man’s hands… This young man may change the world someday, just like his master.”

“I understand.”

Tears in his eyes, the communications officer piloted the Giant Wheel away from the Plum Rain Star Space Domain.

The Black Swan led the way.

Irfan covered the rear.

…

Dust still drifted over the Plum Rain Star.

The Black Phoenix was brought into the Archer’s cockpit.

The four-legged man transformed back to human legs.

He sent someone to offer the Black Phoenix a cup of blood-red tea.

“Though the professor left the Federation without permission, we are not enemies. This is heart-saving tea. Drink it.”

The Black Phoenix wiped blood from her mouth, face cold.

“No.”

The white-haired man drooped his eyelids, expression utterly indifferent.

“The Azure-winged Dragon has died, but the Dragon Core is intact and aboard the Leonin. That ship specializes in stealth. If you can remotely locate the Dragon Core, drink the tea, and we will reclaim it together!”

The Black Phoenix glanced at him and drank the blood tea in one gulp.

The Archer folded its wings and galloped fiercely through space.

Pursuing the Leonin directly!

(End of chapter)