Lu Mingfei, become the King of Elden!

Chapter 18 Dragon Feast
When Lu Mingfei returned to the Church of Arele with the dragon's heart, which had stopped beating and was mixed with rock fragments, Galley was still fiddling with his erhu-like instrument.

The nearest blessing point to Lake Yakir is here, and in order to teleport back to the Dragon's Blessing Church, Lu Mingfei had to turn back again.

The red-hatted businessman looked up, glanced at Lu Mingfei with a hint of surprise, and then lowered his head again as if nothing had happened.

Since following the old knight in his training, Lu Mingfei's perception ability has improved by leaps and bounds, and even the slightest movement cannot escape his eyes.

He naturally caught the fleeting, strange expression on Galena's face.

"what happened?"

Lu Mingfei asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Oh dear,” Galley said slowly, “it’s nothing serious.”

"There was a lost knight dressed just like you on the cliff not far away. I thought it was you, but the figure didn't quite match."

Lu Mingfei paused for a moment, then asked:

"Is that knight carrying two greatswords?"

Galley sighed, a troubled expression on his face:

"Oh dear, sir, you're putting me in a difficult position. I'm already quite brave that I didn't immediately ride off on the donkey; how could I dare to look around any longer?"

Lu Mingfei casually gathered 50 runes and threw them at Galie.

"Oh dear," Galley slapped his forehead, his little red hat tilting to one side, "Now that you mention it, I do remember, I was indeed carrying two greatswords."

Lu Mingfei rolled his eyes at him. Merchants from nomadic tribes did indeed have a tradition of selling information, but that didn't stop Lu Mingfei from despising this unscrupulous businessman.
But then, Lu Mingfei raised his head, his gaze passing over the dilapidated walls of the church and looking towards the cliffs not far away.

The view from there is expansive, offering a panoramic view of the entire Lake Yaquil.

"Old Man"

He whispered to himself.
-
When Lu Mingfei teleported back to the Dragon Sacrifice Church, the sun had already set, turning the headless dragon statues in the courtyard golden.

He stepped into the ruins and paused slightly.

Before that empty altar stood that familiar set of heavy silver armor.

"Teacher?" Lu Mingfei asked subconsciously.

A familiar, cold snort came from the gaps in the armor. The old knight turned around, scrutinizing Lu Mingfei's battered armor, especially the dark black mark on his right shoulder. He frowned and said coldly:

"You brat, hunting a small to medium-sized dragon and you've ruined your armor like this. You don't expect to find a blacksmith to repair it here at the border, do you?"
Light armor is hard to find; it's basically one piece less available every time you take it off.

Lu Mingfei shrank back, looking like a mouse before a cat, his former high spirits completely gone.

Then, he recalled what he had done that day and, for some reason, regained his confidence.

He stubbornly tried to argue with the old man, but he clearly lacked confidence.

"Old man, you can't blame me for this. That dragon was just too fierce. Besides, I unleashed the full power of 'Summon Storm' today."

The voice gets quieter and quieter.

"Kneel down."

The old knight suddenly shouted.

Lu Ming knelt down on one knee without conditioned reflex.

silence.

After a long while, those large, armored hands gently pressed against his blood-stained head:

"well done."

The old man's voice was still as rough as rock, but it carried a rare hint of gentleness.

"At least he's starting to look like a knight."

Lu Mingfei was stunned.

He looked up and saw the old knight's weathered face, unmasked, his eyes sharp yet clouded. The armored hand pressed against his head, heavy yet warm. "...Old man?"

"Shut up."

The old knight withdrew his hand, turned, and walked towards the altar:
"Bring me the dragon's heart."

Lu Mingfei frantically rummaged through his storage space and found the strange dragon heart, almost the size of a pumpkin. The red flesh was mixed with rocks, and although it had been dead for a long time, Lu Mingfei had a faint feeling that it was still beating, as if it was unwilling to die.

The old knight took the dragon heart and placed it in the groove in the center of the altar. The groove was strangely shaped, as if it had been forcibly dug out by some kind of sharp claw, and bright red, flickering dragon energy gathered on it in an unknown shape.

"Kneel down."

Lu Mingfei was stunned for a moment, looked up at the old knight, and then looked at himself—he was kneeling.

"I mean, kneel down before the altar!" the old man began to glare and bristle again.

Lu Mingfei obediently knelt before the altar.

The old knight stood beside him, his hands gripping the hilt of his sword, the tip pointing downwards and pressed against the ground.

"The Dragon Feast Ritual was originally created by the ancient Dragon King Platonsanx to incite mortals to kill dragons, and it was also a usurpation by mortals who coveted the power of dragons."

The old knight's voice was serious and deep, like muffled thunder.

"But you are different. Dragon blood flows in your veins; this is a return, not plunder."

“However,” he slowly shook his head, “this is just the old man’s opinion. You can still fall into endless desires.”

This desire, aside from those with unwavering will, can only be somewhat resisted by ordinary people. Without exception, they either die on the path of dragon hunting or ultimately transform into ugly earth dragons, becoming prey for dragon warriors.

“However,” he suddenly said, staring at Lu Mingfei, “the power of the Dragon’s Feast is undoubtedly strong. From ancient times to the present, Dragon’s Feast warriors have roamed the borderlands, their fame spreading far and wide for their bravery and skill in battle.”

I've covered both the pros and cons. The choice is yours today.

Surprisingly, Lu Mingfei nodded without hesitation.

He, Lu, was always hesitant, but he chose to trust the old knight and Lu Mingze.

"Is that so?" The old knight paused, seemingly relieved, as if recalling past events.

After a long while, he said calmly:
"If you fall into the path of dragon feasting and harbor resentment in the future, then resent me."

"I've said all I can say. Do you want to eat it directly, or transform it through a ritual?"

In this serious atmosphere, Lu Mingfei was caught off guard by the question.

He hesitated for a moment, glancing at the enormous dragon heart. The thought of swallowing it piece by piece made him feel nauseous.

After a moment, he made a decision:
"Let's convert it."

"I advised you to eat during your first knightly ritual. However, since you have made the choice, you should carry it out."

The old knight nodded:
"Put your hand in."

Lu Mingfei did as instructed.

Suddenly, dark red patterns lit up the altar, spreading outwards from the grooves like blood vessels. The dragon heart began to convulse violently, then slowly dissipated, revealing its core of power.

"If it hurts, just yell it out." The old knight glanced at Lu Mingfei. "It's not shameful."

Before Lu Mingfei could reply, the dragon heart on the altar suddenly exploded, transforming into a dark red stream of light that surged towards him. He felt as if a red-hot iron had pierced his chest.

The scorching dragon blood surged through his veins, and every inch of his body groaned in agony.

"Ugh—!"

He gripped the armor on his chest tightly, his golden eyes blazing uncontrollably, and fine black scales appeared on his body, layer upon layer.

In a daze, he seemed to hear the sound of shackles breaking, and the old knight's murmured words:

"I've never seen anything like this before."

(End of this chapter)